The divorce between Grammy-nominated artist Sia and her estranged husband, Dan Bernad, has taken a dramatic turn, with court documents revealing a substantial financial dispute that has thrust the notoriously private singer’s personal life into the public eye.
According to a spousal support petition filed Friday, October 10th, Bernad is seeking $250,856 per month in temporary spousal support from the “Chandelier” singer, citing his complete financial dependence on the artist following the dissolution of his medical career.
The case presents a striking reversal of fortune for Bernad, 47, who was a practicing radiation oncologist when he first met Sia. Court filings paint a picture of a marriage marked by extreme wealth and a lifestyle transformation that would prove costly.
Bernad alleges that Sia, whose net worth remains redacted in public documents but is described as substantial, persuaded him to leave his hospital position due to her dissatisfaction with his demanding schedule. “She disliked his long hours at the hospital,” the filing states, setting in motion a chain of events that would fundamentally alter his professional trajectory.
In 2021, the couple ventured into business together, opening a ketamine clinic in Los Angeles—a treatment modality that has gained traction for managing depression and other mental health conditions. However, this entrepreneurial pivot appears to have left Bernad in a precarious position. He now claims Sia has cut off funding to the clinic, effectively eliminating his source of income.
The court documents offer a rare glimpse into the couple’s opulent standard of living during their brief marriage, which began in 2022. Bernad characterizes their lifestyle as “luxurious and upper-class,” detailing monthly expenditures exceeding $400,000 on private jet travel, fine dining, and a full-time household staff.
“Orders are necessary at this time because I am financially dependent on Sia, the breadwinner in our marriage,” Bernad writes in his petition. “Sia can pay me spousal support to maintain our financial status quo.”
The filing reveals that Bernad currently has minimal funds in his bank accounts and no active income stream, creating what he portrays as a severe financial imbalance as the divorce proceedings move forward.
Perhaps most significantly, Bernad claims he cannot simply return to his former career. His medical license has expired, and the path to reinstatement is neither quick nor easy.
“I will need to complete several years of training and pass several rigorous exams before I can renew my certification and practice radiation oncology again,” Bernad explains in the filing, underscoring the long-term implications of his career decision.
Beyond monthly support, Bernad is also requesting that Sia contribute at least $500,000 toward his legal fees during the divorce proceedings—funds he argues would “level the playing field” between the parties, given their disparate financial circumstances.
The couple shares one child, a 17-month-old named Somersault, adding another layer of complexity to the proceedings.
Sia filed for divorce in March 2025, citing the standard legal grounds of “irreconcilable differences.” The relationship lasted approximately three years, though the exact timeline of their courtship before marriage remains unclear.
Representatives for Sia did not respond to requests for comment on Friday regarding Bernad’s financial claims or the specifics of the support petition.
As the case proceeds through the Los Angeles Superior Court, a judge will ultimately determine whether Bernad’s support request is reasonable given California’s community property laws and the specific circumstances of the marriage. Factors typically considered include the length of the marriage, each party’s earning capacity, the standard of living established during the marriage, and the contributions each spouse made to the other’s career.
For Sia, who has long guarded her privacy—famously performing with her face obscured by wigs and oversized bows—the public airing of financial details represents an unwelcome intrusion. For Bernad, the stakes are clear: maintaining the lifestyle he became accustomed to while charting a path forward after abandoning a lucrative medical career.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Dan Bernad, Sia’s estranged husband, is seeking over $250,000 monthly in spousal support, claiming the pop star convinced him to abandon his radiation oncology career for a now-defunct ketamine clinic venture. With an expired medical license requiring years to reinstate, Bernad says he’s left financially dependent after living a lavish lifestyle funded by Sia’s wealth.
The case underscores the risks of career sacrifice in high-wealth marriages and raises questions about financial responsibility when one spouse’s decision directly impacts the other’s earning capacity.
