The father of British movie director Guy Ritchie said his son's wife, U.S. pop star Madonna, is "being beastly" regarding their imminent divorce.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ritchie's 78-year-old father John said Madonna took to calling his son names at a Boston concert last week, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

"She is being beastly. She's calling him an emotional retard," the elder Ritchie said of Madonna. "When he's being bashed by her it's horrid."

The celebrity couple officially announced divorce plans Wednesday and both are preparing for what is anticipated to be a bitter divorce battle.

Meanwhile, an unidentified source said the pop singer's attorneys are preparing to label Ritchie as a "dominant" husband who routinely ridiculed Madonna in public.

"It might seem incredible that Madonna should be suggesting Guy was the dominant one in this marriage and that she was somehow the belittled party," the source said. "But the thing about divorce is that there are always two very different perceptions of what went on."

The Telegraph said the couple has three children, 8-year-old Rocco, their adopted son David Banda and 12-year-old Lourdes, a daughter from one of Madonna's earlier relationships.