Crichton's emergency divorce

ER creator Michael Crichton has agreed a huge divorce settlement with his wife.

The best-selling author handed over £20million as part of the deal with Anne-Marie Crichton after 13 years of marriage.

In return, he insisted on keeping various possessions including two rugs and a pair of rusting trucks.

His wife filed for divorce last year, citing " irreconcilable differences". Details of the agreement have now emerged with the release of court papers.

The author, whose fortune is believed to run into hundreds of millions of pounds, gave her the couple's sprawling New York estate - but not before taking two rugs from the main house.

Anne-Marie got the couple's fine art collection, including a sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein and a painting by René Magritte.

As part of the amicable agreement, Crichton and his fourth wife agreed to have joint custody of their daughter, Taylor, 15.

He gave Anne-Marie all rights to the couple's New York mansion, while he will keep their large Hawaiian estate in his name. She also gets to keep the couple's 20 horses.

Crichton has secured all rights to his ER show, the Jurassic Park films and a two-book deal with Harper Collins - worth £13 million per novel.

They agreed not to talk to the media about their failed marriage.

The settlement - drawn up in 2001 - reads: "Anne-Marie and Michael shall live separate and apart from the other and free from the marital control and authority of the other.

"The sum of $31,000,000 shall be paid by Michael to Anne-Marie by certified cheque or wire transfer to her banking account.

"They shall have joint legal and physical custody of Taylor to maintain and foster a positive, enduring and loving relationship."

It continues: "Michael and Anne-Marie agree to support Taylor with the intent of maintaining the preseparation lifestyle of the family."

Anne-Marie also got farm equipment and vehicles - including a Jeep Cherokee, Mercedes Station Wagon and two tractors.

In return, Crichton kept four cars - two Ford Explorers, a Jeep Cherokee and a Ford Expedition.

Crichton, 59, came to prominence more than 30 years ago when his novel The Andromeda Strain - which he wrote in 1969 while at Harvard Medical School - was made into a film in 1971. Since then, more than a dozen of his novels have been filmed, including Jurassic Park and Westworld - making him one of the world's wealthiest authors.

He recently landed £3.5 million for the film rights to his latest book Prey - a tale of biotechnology and genetic engineering.

The author had a terrifying experience last September when two men burst into his Santa Monica mansion and robbed him at gunpoint in front of his daughter.