Humphries cries fraud; his lawyers itchin' for depositions, discovery

NBA player Kris Humphries has officially called his future ex-wife Kim Kardashian a fraud in documents filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Let the depositions begin!

Humphries' request for an annulment, citing "fraud" as the reason to nullify this union, was his shot-across-the-bow response to Kardashian's surprise Oct. 31 divorce filing. Kim filed for divorce after just 72 days of marriage that followed a ridiculously over-the-top televised California ceremony that probably earned the bride and her "momager," Kris Jenner, millions -- although mom has told media Kim didn't earn "a dime."

It'd be delicious to find out if Jenner's version of reality squares with what's uncovered by Humphries' Minneapolis-based attorney, Lee Hutton III, who is leading a dream team of California lawyers he's assembled for a legal effort that should be chronicled in a documentary titled "Taking on Kim Kardashian, et al." (Don't be confused, the Kardashians only enjoy fake reality, not fact-based documentaries.)

"All the attorneys, Laurence Goldman, Manley Freid, we're litigators," Hutton told me Friday. "We are trial attorneys, no strangers to the courtroom. The burden of fraud is that we have to prove by 'clear and convincing evidence' that Kim went into the marriage with fraudulent intentions. 'Clear and convincing evidence' is more than 'a preponderance of the evidence,' but something just short of conclusive, [as in] 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' "

A claim of fraud means Humphries now thinks the events featured in a two-night televised special that culminated in his family's Minnesota minister performing the ceremony were, unbeknownst to the groom, all part of Kim's make-believe-for-reality TV.

He had said, and behaved as though, he married for love, while many now suspect that she married for ratings.

We should, however, expect Kim's side to use their millions to delay and run up Humphries' legal tab before being sworn in, kicking and screaming. But that could backfire on the Kardashian bank account, since Humphries is asking that she pay for his legal bills.

The court document also seeks a "legal separation" in the event that the annulment is not granted, which would delay the quickie dissolution desired by Kardashian. The litigators also want a thorough examination of the Kardashian bank accounts, based on legalese about "property assets and obligations, the exact nature and extent of which are not presently known."

Relationship expert Cooper Lawrence told "Entertainment Tonight" that the reason Humphries wants to legally wash away the marriage is he's "embarrassed" that he was apparently used: "I think when he got into it he really thought he was having a real marriage with this woman and he might have been [sic] falling in love with her without realizing he was cast as the husband."

I seem to remember Humphries' remarking during a pre-marriage planning session dustup that he felt as though Kardashian could plug in any guy for the ceremony. In his very first appearance on her reality show, he also remarked over dinner that after hearing that Kardashian was interested in meeting him he felt like her "prey."

Oh, if Kris had only been listening when his subconscious was speaking!

"TMZ" host Harvey Levin told viewers, "The weird thing is he says he's in love with her but he's literally declared war on her just now. He's basically said she's a fraud."

In banter with Levin, TMZ staffer Shevonne Sullivan blew off Humphries with: "He's a moron." I assume that is Sullivan's assessment of Humphries' escorting his heart into the world of reality make-believe. Then again, another TMZer theorized that after Kardashian's family and friends decided Humphries wasn't smart, Kim decided she had to dump him.

"Suppose she's shallow and suppose he's a moron?" asked Levin. "That doesn't mean you can't have a real marriage."

Loving someone is a conscious decision, as is not loving someone any more, but it looks as though Kardashian made the conscious decision to pretend she was in love.

Depositions would be lovely because the transcripts could throw a factual light on many areas of the Humphries-Kardashian romance. Such as:

• Did the Kardashians ever have brainstorming sessions about how Kim needed to marry a nice midwestern boy for the show?

• Were some of the comments and scenes for which Humphries has been widely criticized actually scripted?

• Is there any truth to the Hollywoodlife.com story about Kardashian spending time with her old boyfriend, NFLer Reggie Bush, two days before she filed for divorce from Humphries?

• Was the decision to transport Humphries' family to and from the wedding in a bus a bit of budget-cutting by the Kardashians, who arrived in Maybachs and Rolls Royce Phantoms?