Inside Hollywood’s Craziest Custody Battles
Charlie Sheen and 5 other couples who had to call in the professionals.
-Shayla C. Perry, BettyConfidential.com
Charlie Sheen isn't just "winning" at being a "bitchin' rock star from Mars," he's also got a pretty commanding lead when it comes to heated high-profile splits. The (former?) Two and a Half Men star already went through a complicated mess with ex Denise Richards for custody of their two daughters, and now, with his divorce from Brooke Mueller not even finalized, there have been dueling drug test demands, restraining orders, goddesses, rumored anti-Semitic texts, and threats of beheadings. And that's just in one week!
Read Mean Betty on Charlie Sheen: "I'm a Total Frickin' Rock Star from Mars"
But as truly "epic" and twisted (and dare we say, entertaining) as their fight over twin sons Bob and Max may be, Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller aren't the only celeb couple whose family feud has made headlines. Here's a look at some of the cah-raziest custody battles in recent Hollywood history that left us all captivated, and ever so thankful that we're not living life in the public eye!
Padma Lakshmi & Adam Dell
For Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, hearing the words, "Dude, you're gettin' a Dell!" simply leaves a bad taste in her mouth. When the foxy foodie hooked up with venture capitalist Adam Dell in 2007, it was nothing but roses and romantic getaways. But by the summer of 2009, Dell alleges that Lakshmi "withdrew emotionally" and verbally attacked him, insulting everything from his "uninteresting career" to his "unmemorable friends." Padma eventually told Adam that she was pregnant, blamed her behavior on hormones (naturally), and said that she hoped he wasn't the father of the child (ouch!). As it turns out, Lakshmi was also dating financier Ted Forstmann, and wanted him to be the baby-daddy, but a paternity test later revealed that Dell was, in fact, the biological father.
In January, Adam and his lawyers petitioned the court seeking full custody of one-year-old Krishna Thea, claiming that Lakshmi has prevented him from spending time with his daughter and stating that he can provide a more "stable" environment for her than her mother. But that's not all! He also wants his name listed as the child's father on her birth certificate, and to change her last name to Dell-something that he says he made clear to Lakshmi before Krishna was born. Instead, Padma gave the child her own surname and paid tribute to Forstmann (whom Krishna refers to as "Papa"), by using Thea, the feminine form of Theodore, as her middle name.
On paper, Adam Dell's requests sound innocent enough, but rather than quietly filing the paperwork with the court, Dell's lawyer went to the press, making his motives and interest in the well-being of his daughter seem questionable. Since then, Dell and his attorneys have managed to stay out of the media while the court decides on the fate of little Krishna.
Read Padma Lakshmi Makes Her Own Baby Food
Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry
Weren't they just about the cutest couple ever? "Sexiest Woman Alive" (Esquire definitely called it in 2008!) Halle Berry met Canadian-born supermodel Gabriel Aubry at a Versace shoot in 2005. The two hit it off so well that they decided to make things official, and two years later they confirmed that Halle was pregnant with their equally beautiful daughter, Nahla Ariela Aubry.
Sadly, after much speculation, it was revealed that Halle and Gabriel had separated at the end of April, 2010. In typical Hollywood manner, they went to court and ended up working out a 50/50 custody and financial agreement (although TMZ.com reported that the deal was not finalized).
The past several months have been especially taxing for both parties, with lots of name calling (including allegations of racism) and finger pointing. Fortunately, in February of this year, Halle agreed to let Gabriel take care of their daughter while she shoots a new movie on the east coast.
A judge granted Gabe visitation rights and the model will be living in New York with his girls for the duration of the shooting process. Good luck, guys!
Britney Spears & Kevin Federline
Who would have thought that when pop queen Britney Spears hooked up with a back-up dancer with a pregnant ex-girlfriend whom she'd only known for 3 months, things weren't going to last? Shockingly (sense the sarcasm), after one "chaotic" reality show, two years of marriage, and two absolutely adorable little boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James, Brit and Kevin Federline called it quits, citing the old Hollywood standby, "irreconcilable differences."
At the time, the two were able to agree on a joint custody arrangement, but shortly after, Spears tailspinned into a downward spiral of bad behavior, leading the court to give Federline physical custody of their children.
In 2008, after refusing to hand her sons over to Federline's reps, a visibly dazed Spears, surrounded by an onslaught of paparazzi, law enforcement, and medical professionals, was rushed to a hospital and evaluated. Soon, the custody battle for her boys turned into a fight for legal guardianship of Britney herself, with everyone fearful that her mental instability would lead to an untimely death.
Thankfully, after getting rid of the "toxic" people in her life, some tough love from her father, and lots of professional help, everything has since worked out for Brit and her boys, with Kevin maintaining primary custody and the Femme Fatale now able to spend time with them whenever she'd like.
Read Aaron Carter and 10 Celebs Under 30 Who Have Been to Rehab
Alec Baldwin & Kim Basinger
Before he was "synergizing backward overflow" as Jack Donaghy on NBC's 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin and actress Kim Basinger were the quintessential hot Hollywood couple. In 1995, Basinger gave birth to their daughter, Ireland, and 5 years later (which is like, 35 years in Hollywood), the couple separated.
After their divorce in 2001, Alec and Kim were embattled in a seven year custody fight for Ireland. But it was one angry voicemail message Baldwin left for the tween in 2007, calling her a "rude, thoughtless little pig" that was leaked to the press and put the couple's nasty split back in the spotlight.
Alec claims that his rant was the result of "parental alienation syndrome," and that his ex-wife had spent over $1 million in an effort to keep him from seeing his daughter over the years. Baldwin co-authored a book on his plight and the unscrupulous "divorce industry," which he heavily promoted. During that time, Alec Baldwin revealed that after the voicemail was leaked, he was on the brink of suicide, but ultimately decided to live to avoid hurting his daughter.
Baldwin and the now 15-year-old Ireland have since reconciled and are working on their relationship.
Mia Farrow & Woody Allen
What could be worse than battling your ex for custody of your children? How about finding nude pictures of your daughter, taken by the man who served as her father figure?
That's exactly the harsh reality actress Mia Farrow had to face in 1992, after discovering that Allen, whom she'd been with for 12 years, had cheated on her with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi. Although Soon-Yi was not technically Allen's step-daughter, since the two never married, Farrow argues that the acclaimed actor and director played the role of "Dad" to all of her kids.
During the custody fight for their three children together (two of which were adopted, and one biological son), Farrow alleged that Allen sexually molested one of their daughters. The judge threw out Mia's claim, which couldn't be proved, but because of Woody's "grossly inappropriate" relationship with Soon-Yi, he was denied visitation rights with his adopted daughters, and allowed supervised visits with his biological son.
Woody Allen and Soon-Yi were married in December of 2007 in Venice and have two adopted daughters.
Shayla Perry is a freelance writer & editor who specializes in celebrity and entertainment news.
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