Auction guitar was actress's 'alimony'

The guitar that represents Carrie Fisher's entire divorce settlement from the musician Paul Simon has been put up for auction. In a letter being sold with the guitar, Fisher writes: "As far as I know it is the only alimony I received."

The Ovation acoustic guitar, estimated to fetch up to £6,850 on Sothebys.com, was used in Simon and Garfunkel reunion concerts in 1981 before the musician gave it to Fisher as a gift. It is being sold complete with its original hard case. The actress is selling it to raise money for a museum of film memorabilia that was founded by her mother, the actress Debbie Reynolds.

Fisher's turbulent marriage to Simon coincided with the peak of her addiction to drugs and alcohol. In 1985, the year after they split, she went into a drug rehabilitation clinic after taking an overdose. .

Fisher made her comment in a handwritten letter supplied for the auction. Darren Julien, senior vice-president of the Sotheby's associate that is selling the guitar, Fineartsbrokerage.com, said that , "totally did this letter out of her type of humour."