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Amber McKynzie

Hollywood’s Five Most Publicized Custody Battles

Halle Berry vs. Gabriel Aubry In 2010, Halle Berry and longtime boyfriend and former model, Gabriel Aubry, decided to go their separate ways, but not before the X-Men actress was ordered to pay $20,000 per month in child support. While the couple shares custody of their four-year-old daughter, Nahla, Berry’s recent request to move to France, home to her current fiancé, Olivier Martinez, with her daughter after two convicted stalkers of her were released from jail was denied by a U.S. judge. The custody agreement continued on a downward spiral last Thanksgiving when the caramel-skinned beauty’s fiancé and Gabriel broke into a fight in front of Halle’s California home. Both were hospitalized.

Words by Amber McKynzie After any international superstar passes, it’s only fitting that the estate and custody battles begin just days after the legends are gone. In this case, a bitter custody war let loose after Michael Jackson saw an untimely death. From his mother, Katherine Jackson to his father, Joe Jackson, all the way to his brothers, a familial war let loose as everyone seemed to want a piece of MJ’s kids, Paris, Prince and Blanket. As the Jackson family appeared to be in and out of courts every other day after the King of Pop’s passing, mouths dropped when a judge awarded temporary custody to Tito Jackson’s son, TJ Jackson—Michael’s nephew. Then, in July of last year, the courts agreed to grant co-guardianship of MJ’s kids to his mother and nephew. But raising kids is no picnic as TJ Jackson has requested $9000 per month from Michael Jackson’s estate to steadily care for his children. And surprisingly, Katherine believes the request is beyond reasonable. So while custody battles are becoming Hollywood’s new trending topic, BlackEnterprise.com is recounting Tinsel Town’s most recently heinous and publicized custody battles. more
Halle Berry vs. Gabriel Aubry In 2010, Halle Berry and longtime boyfriend and former model, Gabriel Aubry, decided to go their separate ways, but not before the X-Men actress was ordered to pay $20,000 per month in child support. While the couple shares custody of their four-year-old daughter, Nahla, Berry’s recent request to move to France, home to her current fiancé, Olivier Martinez, with her daughter after two convicted stalkers of her were released from jail was denied by a U.S. judge. The custody agreement continued on a downward spiral last Thanksgiving when the caramel-skinned beauty’s fiancé and Gabriel broke into a fight in front of Halle’s California home. Both were hospitalized. more
Deion Sanders vs. Pilar Sanders After 13 of years marriage—an eternity in Hollywood years—former NFL player Deion Sanders filed for divorce from his leggy, beautiful wife, Pilar Sanders, in December 2011. The two continued to live together after separating—but in separate parts of their Texas home—but quickly learned the woes of a divorce wouldn’t allow that to last long. The two engaged in a very public verbal and physical dispute resulting in Pilar’s arrest and Deion receiving an assault citation. The man better known as "PrimeTime" often took to his Twitter account to release his stress and share with his fans regarding his bitter divorce battle. In May 2012, a Texas judge ruled in Pilar’s favor, mandating Deion to pay her $10,500 in child support per month in addition to $275,000 in legal fees. But just when the former Playboy model didn’t think things could get any worse, Texas courts awarded sole custody of the no-longer-married couple’s two sons, Shilo, 13, and Shedeur, 11, to their father, and shared custody of their daughter, Shalomi, 9, on March 12, 2013. While an unusual situation, Pilar saw some small success in acquiring shared custody of her daughter. But things changed once again yesterday (March 20), when a court granted full custody of Shalomi to Deion. more
Usher Raymond vs. Tameka Raymond Usher Raymond and his now ex-wife, Tameka Raymond, separated in July of 2008 after just a year of marriage. The divorce became final in November of 2009 after Judge Bensonetta Tipton Lane issued a definitive decree granting the motion for divorce. When first filing for divorce, the R&B sensation was seeking joint custody of the former couple’s two children, Usher Raymond V, 5, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, 4, but in August of last year, Usher decided to go for it all. After a bitter custody battle, with both Tameka and Usher slandering one another as much as possible in front of a judge, the courts finally ruled in favor of the 34-year-old superstar. While the former Mrs. Raymond still claims visitation rights, the details of the couple’s agreement is unknown. more
Jennifer Lopez vs. Marc Anthony This isn’t the first time Jennifer Lopez has said goodbye to a husband, but it is the first time rumors have filled the blogs about the possibility of a heinous custody battle. After Marc Anthony filed for divorce in April of last year, the media’s rumor mill started spinning with stories of a custody war over the no-longer-married couple’s four-year-old twins, Max and Emme. Then pictures of J. Lo and her new boyfriend, Casper Smart, who happens to be 18 years younger than the Hollywood starlet, and it appeared Anthony wasn’t too happy with her new situation. But while many wondered what the children’s outcome would be in such a public divorce, Lopez’s family lawyer put all the questions and rumors to rest. "The parties are working together to reach a friendly resolution that's in the best interest of their children. He's not seeking financial support from her in this divorce. Never has, never will. This is about trying to figure out how best for two very busy parents to share their children." more
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