Schafnitz’s Husband Files for Divorce

Citing irreconcilable differences, the husband of Newport Beach socialite Tina Schafnitz--now serving a 10-month jail sentence for selling cocaine to an undercover officer--has filed for divorce.

Matthew Schafnitz, 55, filed the divorce petition in Orange County Superior Court on April 30, a week after his wife of 15 years pleaded guilty to selling $1,000 worth of cocaine to an undercover Tustin police officer. She also admitted to having a handgun in her Mercedes-Benz the night she was arrested.

In addition to jail time, Tina Schafnitz must pay a $5,000 fine and serve three years’ probation.

Matthew Schafnitz, who is a partner in a Laguna Hills insurance brokerage, was not available for comment Friday. But at an April court appearance, he admitted his wife’s arrest and subsequent jail sentence had been hard on him and on the couple’s children.

“Our 8-year-old has seen his mom’s picture on the front page of the newspaper for saying yes to drugs instead of no. It’s been very difficult,” he said. “It’s not an example I want for my kids.”

Schafnitz’s arrest sent shock waves through Orange County society circles in which she is well-known for her work on behalf of several children’s charities.

The couple’s involvement in charities intensified after the birth of their first son, Alexandre, in 1990. The boy’s achondroplasia--a type of dwarfism--led them to become involved with the Short Stature Foundation in Irvine.

According to the divorce petition, the couple married May 1, 1983, and separated in March of this year. Their other child, Maximillion, is 5.