Breaking up by text is one thing. Divorcing by text is another. Seven years ago, computer scientist Scott Hassan, a co-founder of the search engine Google, divorced his wife Allison Huynh of 13 years via text. The couple has been battling their divorce for many years since and is still trying to split up the billions of dollars worth of assets. 

Now, the feud has taken a new turn. Hassan reportedly set up a website to shame his wife and is accused of ‘divorce terrorism’. Their court hearing took place at the end of August 2021, but they still have a long road ahead of them.

Although many know Sergey Brin and Larry Page as the founders of Google, Scott Hassan also made an essential contribution to the world-known search engine. Hassan completed much of the programming for the original Google framework.

Hassan has also used his technological and coding knowledge to create other vital developments. Beyond Google, he was an integral developer for Alexa Internet and Stanford Digital Library. He has also founded an email portal, a limited liability company named Greenheart Investments, and led the robotics company Willow Garage up until its closure in 2014.

Shortly after Google launched, Hassan bought over 150,000 shares for a small sum of $800. His wealth has grown exponentially over the years, but this split between him and his former wife has resulted in turmoil between the couple’s assets and relationship.

Hassan and Huynh, who came to the US from Vietnam, met at Stanford in 2000. They got married—without a prenup might I add—not long after meeting one another and had three children together. However, the marriage resulted in divorce about ten years later, when Hassan texted Huynh that he wanted to split.

Huynh has been seeking 50 per cent of the total assets. Even though they didn’t get a prenup before the marriage, Hassan attempted to enter a post-nuptial agreement after the inquiry for half of the assets. This resulted in Hassan allegedly creating the website AllisonHuynh.com back in February 2021, in vain and manipulation, in an attempt to embarrass Huynh with information about her past.

There was confusion about who initially set up this website, but Huynh soon realised that Hassan created it out of revenge. The website leaked information regarding details of a sexual harassment case Huynh was previously involved in but had since settled as well as other court documents from previous lawsuits. Additionally, Huynh believes that Hassan has been intentionally prolonging the court cases regarding their divorce and assets.

The website has since been removed from the internet, but after this incident, Huynh went on to accuse Hassan of divorce terrorism.

Divorce terrorism is essentially domestic violence through terroristic threats. Huynh accused Hassan of divorce terrorism because of the website he set up, releasing court information to the public in an attempt to get back at her for asking for 50 per cent of the assets and for prolonging the court proceedings for so many years.

Huynh wants to get on with her life, but Hassan’s manipulative actions prevent her from doing so. Her lawyer, Pierce O’Donnell, who’s been practising for about 50 years, once claimed this was the “longest-running proceeding he’s done in California’s history.”

In addition to the lengthy court proceedings, after Huynh found the website, she was worried that her children would see what was being said about her. She didn’t want to leave that impression on her teenage children and was worried they would think she created the site.

Currently, the couple is still in court. Huynh hopes this will be the final case. The court will decide how to split up the assets.