‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Says He Owes Ex-Wife $3.7 Million and Opposes Taking Half His Social Security

John Schneider spent years disputing how much he owed his ex-wife, Elvira Castle. The actor and country singer now acknowledges that the debt is about $3.7 million, including interest. In court documents obtained by TMZ, Schneider says he cannot pay the accumulated balance and argues that putting half his Social Security benefits toward it would make it harder to cover his monthly bills.

Schneider, best known for playing Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, said divorce filings in California and Louisiana had led him to question whether the California support order was valid. He now accepts that he owes the money. His filing asks the court to let him keep his full Social Security payments as Castle continues trying to collect.

The support dispute dates back to before the divorce

Schneider and Castle married in 1993, separated in 2014 and finalized their divorce in 2019. The fight over support had already landed Schneider in jail by then. In 2018, he was sentenced to three days over unpaid alimony and served only a few hours because of overcrowding, according to Taste of Country. At the time, he cited his own debts when explaining why he could not make the payments.

TMZ reported that Schneider was ordered to pay Castle $25,000 a month in 2019. Earlier this year, Castle said more than $2.3 million in support had gone unpaid and that about $1 million in interest had accrued. Schneider was still challenging her calculation in June. His latest filing puts the amount he acknowledges owing at roughly $3.7 million.

Schneider's recordings include gospel and Christian country

In the same year his divorce was finalized, Schneider released Recycling Grace, an 11-track inspirational album that included the traditional "Satan Your Kingdom Is Coming Down" and "Sing Hallelujah" with Christian Davis. He also teamed up with former Confederate Railroad member Cody McCarver on "These Hands," a duet that reached No. 1 on the PowerSource Christian Country Chart in December 2019.

Castle has been trying to collect court-ordered support for years. Schneider's acknowledgment settles where he stands on the debt, but the immediate question is whether half his monthly Social Security payment will go toward it. The court's decision on that request remains unclear.