Papers filed in court Thursday said the estranged couple had settled their differences and agreed to get a "no fault" divorce in Tennessee.

    Gest's lawyer, Susan Moss, said the two will be divorced "within the next few weeks" in Memphis where Gest has a home. Moss said the couple chose Tennessee because the state, unlike New York, has no-fault divorce.

    The agreement to file for a no-fault divorce means neither party has to accuse the other of wrongdoing.

    Minnelli, 60, and Gest, 53, married March 16, 2002, in a celebrity-studded ceremony. They broke up in July 2003, and both filed for divorce later that year.

    Before filing for divorce, Gest sued Minnelli for 10 million dollars for assault. He claimed his wife had beaten him so badly during alcoholic rages that she caused him nerve damage and caused him to be hospitalized for five days.

    Minnelli countersued, claiming Gest had stolen at least 2 million dollars she earned while performing in shows he had produced.

    Lorraine Nadel, Gest's lawyer in the assault lawsuit and in the Minnelli countersuit, confirmed that legal battle was over. She said the settlement terms were confidential and would not say whether either paid the other any money.

    State Supreme Court Justice Jane Solomon threw out Gest's 10 million dollar assault case in September, but the settlement apparently means he won't try to appeal.

    Moss said the divorce agreement was reached during the past week.

    Gest and Minnelli were introduced to each other by Michael Jackson when Gest, a producer and promoter, produced the singer's 30th-anniversary tribute concert for television.

    Minnelli still has another lawsuit pending against her. Her former bodyguard, M¡¯Hammed Soumayah, claims in a 100 million dollar lawsuit that she forced him to have sex with her to keep his job and she assaulted him.

    Minnelli, daughter of Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, has won an Academy Award, an Emmy, two Golden Globes and three Tony Awards. She also has battled substance abuse, weight gain and a near-fatal bout with encephalitis.

    (Agencies)