Hollywood’s most bitter celebrity custody battles – including Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis

From Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to Jon and Kate Gosselin, many former celebrity couples have become synonymous with their lengthy – and bitter – custody battles over the years.

Coming to an agreement regarding co-parenting is known to be a contentious tasks for former couples. However, many famous names have managed to take things to levels worthy of a soap opera.

Indeed, Olivia Wilde, 38, just emerged victorious in her custody battle with ex Jason Sudeikis after she claimed in court that her former partner chose to serve her custody papers in an aggressive manner during her appearance at CinemaCon in April.

The pair – who share son Otis, eight, and daughter Daisy, five – were locked in a dispute over where to raise their kids as Jason, 46, attempted to file for New York to be their home. However, Olivia wanted them to stay with her in Los Angeles, and possibly relocate to London, where her boyfriend Harry Styles lives.

Their judge, in a legal filing signed August 5, ruled ‘New York was not the home state of the subject children’ meaning Jason’s hopes to live with the children in Brooklyn were successfully squashed by his former partner.

It comes as singer Britney Spears and her ex-husband Kevin Federline’s custody arrangements have become a trending topic again after he revealed to DailyMail.com that the pop star hasn’t seen her sons in several months.

Elsewhere, the likes of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie continue to butt heads over the fact the Maleficent actress has primary custody of their six children.

Here, FEMAIL reveals the other celebrity couples who have spent years engaging in never-ending disputes and continuous court appearances over who gets to raise their children.

Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde

As it was: The pair – who share son Otis, eight, and daughter Daisy, five – split at the end of 2020 – pictured in March 2018

Olivia Wilde, 38, and Jason Sudeikis were recently embroiled in a messy split, which saw their fight for custody take a nasty turn.

The pair – who share son Otis, eight, and daughter Daisy, five – initially began dating in 2011 after meeting at a Saturday Night Live finale party.

They got engaged in 2013 and welcomed their two children before announcing their shock split at the end of 2020.

Olivia is now in a relationship with pop star Harry Styles, 28, and her plans to relocate to London, where the singer is based, led to the former couple battling things out in court.

Clash: The pair’s once-amicable custody and co-parenting agreement took a turn for the worse when they began to fight over which city their children would live in – pictured in January 2020

In an awkward moment that made headlines, Wilde was served the court documents on April 26 while speaking to a crowd about her new movie at CinemaCon in Las Vegas 

Court filings obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com revealed the exes’ once-amicable custody and co-parenting agreement had taken a turn for the worse after Jason, 46, filed a suit against his ex in New York City Family Court in October 2021.

Feeling golden: Olivia appeared to be in a celebratory mood in her Instagram Story, after it went public that she had won her custody battle

He had wanted the children to live in Brooklyn. Olivia, however, wanted them to stay with her in Los Angeles, and possibly relocate to London, where Harry lives.

Olivia was served the court documents on April 26 as she spoke about her new movie on stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The Hollywood star was in the middle of a presentation for 4,100 film industry executives about her upcoming thriller Don’t Worry Darling when she was awkwardly handed a manila envelope by a court process server.

The Booksmart director referenced being served in her court motion, slamming her ex for his ‘outrageous legal tactics’ and delivering the documents ‘mid-speech.’

‘Jason’s actions were clearly intended to threaten me and catch me off guard. He could have served me discreetly, but instead he chose to serve me in the most aggressive manner possible,’ she said in the documents.

‘The fact that Jason would embarrass me professionally and put our personal conflict on public display in this manner is extremely contrary to our children’s best interests. Since Jason has made it clear that we will not be able to work this out for our children’s sake outside of the court system, I filed a petition for custody in Los Angeles.’

In August, a New York judge, in a legal filing signed August 5, ruled ‘New York was not the home state of the subject children’ and that rather ‘California was the children’s home state’ as he dismissed the case.

The day after the ruling went public, Olivia shared a seemingly celebratory Instagram Story image which saw her throwing a hand in the air while out-and-about with one of her children in London.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline

Ongoing feud: Singer Britney Spears, 40,  and former dancer Kevin Federline, 44, married in 2004 and divorced three years later in 2007; the two exes pictured together in 2005

Mommy duty: The former couple welcomed sons Sean, 16, and 15-year-old Jayden during their short marriage – pictured in 2013

Singer Britney Spears was married to dancer Kevin Federline from 2004 until 2007, during which time they welcomed sons Sean, 16, and 15-year-old Jayden.

When the pair split, Britney initially had joint custody of her sons before Kevin was awarded full temporary custody by October 2007, with the singer relegated to court-monitored visits.

Kevin, 44, was awarded sole custody of Preston and Jayden in 2008 after Britney, 40, was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold during a famously tough time in her life.

In June 2008, the pair agreed to a settlement in which Kevin retained sole custody of their boys, while Britney would receive two visits and one overnight per week.

In 2013 Kevin married Victoria Prince and together they have children Peyton Mari and Jordan Kay.

Things took a turn for the worse once more in February 2018, when the DJ requested an increase of $20,000 a month in child support payments.

After months of back and forth, the couple’s drawn-out custody battle finally came to an end, with a settlement reached between the two parties in September 2018. The agreement saw Britney increase her payments for her sons from $20,000 to roughly $35,000 a month.

Family feud: Kevin recently revealed that Britney has not seen her sons Sean (left) and Jayden (right) for several months, with the teens choosing not to attend her wedding in June – pictured in 2021

By 2019, it was then agreed that the former back up dancer would be granted custody of the boys in the amount of 70 per cent. Before then, the couple had shared a 50/50 child custody split.

When Britney successfully ended her 13-year conservatorship in November 2021, Kevin’s lawyer confirmed that the pair’s custody arrangement wouldn’t be changing.

In August 2022, Kevin revealed exclusively to DailyMail.com that the teenage boys had not seen their mother in months – and they had chosen not to attend her June wedding to Sam Asghari.

The singer was devastated about Kevin choosing to speak publicly about the family rift, and posted a series of angry messages on Instagram, including one accusing Kevin of exposing the teenagers to marijuana.

Her passionate outburst led to the former couple once again battling over their children with Kevin then deciding to post a series of clips of their young sons arguing with their mother.

As the warring parents step up their increasingly acrimonious fight, the boys continue to live with Kevin and his wife along with their daughters Jordan and Payton. Kevin’s eldest children – Kori, 20, and Kaleb, 18, from his relationship with Shar Jackson – are also frequent visitors to the home.

Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna

Drama: Rob Kardashian, 35, and Blac Chyna, 34, were in and out of court over the custody arrangement for their daughter Dream, five

Rocky romance: Chyna gave birth to Dream, five, in November 2016, but the pair split for the first time just a month later. After a series of break-ups and reconciliations, they split for good in 2017 

Blac Chyna – real name Angela Renée White – and Rob Kardashian’s tumultuous relationship began around the start of 2016, but family drama, tension over their reality show, jealousy and clashing personalities quickly soured things between the pair.

Chyna gave birth to Dream, five, in November 2016, but the pair split for the first time just a month later. After a series of break-ups and reconciliations, they split for good in 2017.

At that time, it was reported that reality star turned sock designer had been awarded slightly more than fifty per cent custody of their daughter, amid reports he and his famous sisters were concerned about the video vixen’s parenting.

Reassess: At one point, Rob was paying his ex-partner $20,000 a month in child support – but that stopped in 2019

It was claimed that Rob, 35, agreed to pay his ex-partner $20,000 a month in child support – with Chyna dropping her abuse allegations against him.

In July of that year, the only son of the Kardashian clan targeted Chyna in a rambling foul-mouthed rant on social media and posted explicit photos of her online.

Chyna, 34, went on to obtain a restraining order against him, and claimed he had been physically abusive during their relationship, and threatened to kill himself.

It is believed that Rob wanted to ‘draw the line’ at $10,000 for child support, but Chyna was after $50,000-plus to put towards nannies and care.

 However, the pair are thought to have bartered the price down in exchange for the model dropping her abuse allegations.

In March 2019, Rob and Chyna worked out a new custody agreement which confirmed that the reality television personality apparently will no longer have to pay any child support.

However, the reality star soon began to seek primary custody of his daughter in January 2020, after filing documents in an LA court which make shocking claims about Chyna as a mother.

He claimed Chyna taught her her little girl, three, to mimic sexual positions, that she took drugs with strangers and has a $600-a-day-alcohol habit.

Kardashian said that Chyna – who’s also mom to son King Cairo, nine, with rapper Tyga – uses foul language in front of Dream, who has subsequently repeated phrases such as ‘What the f***?’ and ‘b***h.’

In another instance Rob told the court his child started ‘naked twerking, and acting out sexual positions that she said her mom taught her.’

The sock designer wanted Chyna’s time with Dream to be reduced to weekends with a nanny on hand, TMZ reports. The matter was settled privately.

In March 2022, Chyna went viral after both Rob and her former partner Tyga both hit back over her claims that she was raising her two children with ‘no child support’ payments coming her way.

Single mom life: Chyna began to trend in 2022 after she tweeted – ‘Yesterday I had to give up 3 of my cars. My reasons – morals, beliefs, being a single mother, [and] no support. I’m a mama. Single no support [no] child support’

‘Why would I pay child support, LOL?’ When The Shade Room reposted the Maui rapper’s tweets, both of her babydaddies set the record straight using similar phrasing

The 32-year-old hip-hop star (born Micheal Ray Stevenson) later replied to the reclusive 35-year-old: ‘How [are you paying] 3K less? Let me [know] the plug’

The DC-born star tweeted that she ‘had to give up’ three of her five cars in order to provide for her children.

‘Yesterday I had to give up 3 of my cars. My reasons – morals, beliefs, being a single mother, [and] no support. I’m a mama,’ Chyna – who boasts 21.4M social media followers – tweeted. ‘Single no support [no] child support.’

When The Shade Room reposted the former stripper’s tweets, both of her children’s fathers set the record straight using similar phrasing.

The normally reclusive Rob commented: ‘I pay 37K a year for my daughter’s school. I handle every single medical expense. I pay for all her extracurricular activities. I have my daughter from Tuesday-Saturday. why would I pay child support lol?’

Then rap star Tyga – born Micheal Ray Stevenson – commented: ‘I pay 40K a year for my son’s school and he lives [with] me Mon-Sat. Why would I pay child support lol?’ 

Tyga later replied to Kardashian: ‘How [are you paying] 3K less? Let me [know] the plug’

Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen

Bitter battle: Actors Denise Richards, 51, and Charlie Sheen, 56, have constantly butt heads over their children after Denise was awarded primary custody when their divorce was finalized in 2006

Actors Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen met while working on the 2000 comedy film Good Advice. The couple began dating the following year, and they went on to make their union official in 2002.

After welcoming their daughters Sami, 18, and Lola, 17, the two eventually split and their marriage was formally dissolved in 2006. 

At the time, Denise had sought a restraining order against Charlie, 56, as she alleged that he had made death threats against her. The battle over their children remained bitter for months after their split as Denise, 51, landed primary custody of the children.

In November 2006, when the divorce was finalized and Charlie was ordered to stay 300 feet away from his ex and their children – apart from when he had supervised visits with the kids.

The decision came after Denise accused her ex Charlie Sheen of physically abusing her and looking at pornographic images of young children among a long list of other worrying claims.

Things took a turn one year later when Charlie filed court papers requesting more visitation rights with his two kids. By May 2010, Sheen surrendered legal custody of Sam and Lola to Denise while he retained visitation rights.

Acrimonious split: At one point, Charlie was ordered to stay 300 feet away from his ex and their children – daughters Sami, 18, and Lola, 17 (pictured in 2012)

In 2011 Charlie spiraled into substance abuse and mental health issues and gave a string of highly publicized interviews with various news outlets where he appeared hyper, unhinged and scattered. The glassy-eyed star uttered his now iconic phrases declaring he was ‘winning’, drinking ‘tiger blood’, had ‘adonis DNA’ and other ramblings.

Recent woes: In October 2021, Denise was reportedly left ‘blindsided and disappointed’ after a court ruled that Charlie could stop paying her child support – pictured in 2011

Unknown to the public at the time, Sheen been diagnosed with HIV that same year- a fact he would later reveal in 2015. When he finally announced his diagnosis, the actor revealed that since 2011 he had shelled out nearly $10 million to keep his HIV status a secret.

In May 2013, Richards was awarded temporary custody of the twin sons born in 2009 to the actor and his then-wife Brooke Mueller, after the children were removed from Mueller’s home by child protective services due to concerns over drug use. Charlie had supported the decision.

Sheen then filed the petition to change the child support arrangement in December 2019, with Denise not filing any paperwork in opposition.

In October 2021, Denise was reportedly left ‘blindsided and disappointed’ after a court ruled that Charlie could stop paying her child support.

An LA judge adjusted Sheen’s child support payments to ‘zero dollars a month’ in light of the fact daughter Sami, 17 is now living with her father, 56.

Sources close to Denise claim that she was ‘blindsided’ by the decision, and also accused Charlie – with whom she also shares daughter Lola, 16 – of ‘manipulating the situation’ while also insisting he still must pay as she lives with Lola.

An insider told People: ‘Charlie filed two years ago and kept pushing the court date, so Denise was very surprised that it happened yesterday while she is out of town filming. She was blindsided. Now he’s manipulating the situation…

‘Lola does not live with Charlie. She lives with both of her parents and stays with Charlie when Denise is out of town. When Denise is back, Lola will be with her. Despite the sources’ claims, Charlie has reportedly had 100 per cent custody of both Lola and Sam since April. 

Insiders continued: ‘This is very disappointing for Denise, but also not surprising. Charlie is pitting the girls against their mother, which is horrible.

Making her own choices: Charlie and Denise’s daughter Sami shocked her father when she launched her OnlyFans account in June – a move which her father ‘did not condone’ at first

The insider also alleged that Sheen hasn’t paid any child support to Richards, ‘in at least four years,’ adding Lola lives with Richards but she stays with her dad and sister when she’s filming.

By July 2022, Denise claimed she was in a ‘good place’ with her former husband as they continue on a co-parents.

It came shortly after the former pair’s eldest daughter notably announced that she had joined the OnlyFans subscription service last month.

Charlie subsequently reacted to the announcement with surprise and criticized his child’s actions. However, he changed his mind about the decision after Denise expressed support for Sami.

Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana

Co-parenting struggles: Music icon Janet Jackson and Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana share five year old son, Eissa – pictured in 2013

Music icon Janet Jackson began her relationship with Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana in 2010, one year after ending her multi-year relationship with music producer Jermaine Dupri.

The pair marred in 2012 and welcomed their son Eissa, five, in January 2017. However. The couple didn’t last for long after their child’s birth and announced their split in April that same year.

The two said they were committed to co-parenting after going their separate ways, but Janet’s brother Randy Jackson claimed she suffered ‘verbal abuse’ during their marriage.

Tug of war: It has been claimed that cultural differences has been an issue of clashing when it comes to parenting

‘It was quite an abusive situation,’ the former Jackson 5 member told People in September 2017. ‘It came on later in the relationship, verbal abuse and being [made to feel like] a prisoner in her own home.’

He continued: ‘No pregnant woman needs to go through being called a bitch every day. There were things like that. That’s what she went through.’

Soon it emerged that Janet, 56, was fighting to get full custody, amid concerns she reportedly had about Eissa’s safety while with his father.

A source told Entertainment Tonight that Wissam, 47, was upset with the pair’s child custody arrangement at the time that allegedly stipulated that a caregiver must be present when the businessman spends time with Eissa and controlled how much time he could spend with his son.

Another source added: ‘Janet feels completely out of control during Wissam’s visitations with their baby and worries nonstop’.

The situation appeared to reach a low in 2018 when ET reported that Janet called the police over concern for Eissa’s welfare during a visitation with her ex.

It has been claimed that cultural differences has been an issue of clashing when it comes to parenting.

‘Janet and Wissam are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to raising Eissa and this has made their split even worse,’ a source told Entertainment Tonight. ‘She wants a Western world upbringing and Wissam would like his son to learn his upbringing.’

The legendary singer has kept her only son fairly out of the spotlight since his birth and has infrequently shared rare photos to social media amid her ongoing custody battle. 

 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Determined duo: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s custody battle has been going longer as their actual marriage lasted

Large brood: Brad and Angelina are parents to six children. Aside from Knox, she also shares daughters Shiloh, 16, Vivienne, 14, and Zahara, 17, as well as sons Maddox, 21, and Pax, 18, with the actor; Pictured 2014

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s custody battle has been going on twice as long as their actual marriage lasted after the Wanted actress filed for divorce in September 2016.

The pair first began dating after filming 2005 action comedy, Mr & Mrs Smith, but didn’t officially tie the knot until August 2014.

‘This decision was made for the health of the family,’ Angelina’s rep said in a statement at the time as the Eternals star filed for sole custody of twins Vivienne and Knox, 14, daughters Shiloh, 16, Zahara, 15, and son Pax, 18. The couple’s eldest child is legally an adult at 21.

It was soon revealed that the split came on the heels of an ‘inebriated’ Brad, 58, getting into an altercation with Maddox on the pair’s private jet which led to a child abuse investigation by the FBI and social services. The Meet Joe Black actor – who admitted being an alcoholic at the time of their split but is now recovered – was cleared of all allegations in November 2016.

Fair share: A main bone of contention is how the pair will co-parent after Angelina was awarded primary physical custody of the children after their split, with Brad petitioning for joint custody

The superstar couple have been in the never-ending process of agreeing on a custody arrangement in what has become the most bitter divorce in Hollywood history.

It became clear that a main bone of contention is the issue of how the pair will co-parent. Angelina, 47, has had primary physical custody of the children since the split, with Brad petitioning for joint custody.

In 2018, Angelina then claimed Brad hadn’t paid ‘meaningful’ child support since the couple separated.

Her remark led to her ex filing his own papers, in which he claimed he ‘loaned’ his estranged wife $8 million (£6.3 million) to help her purchase her current house and that he has contributed over $1.3 million ‘in bills for the benefit of [Angelina] and the children’.

By June 2018, an LA judge ordered a temporary shared custody agreement. Angelina was warned that she could lose custody if she didn’t give Brad the children’s mobile phone numbers and allow them to speak to him unsupervised, and promote a healthy relationship with him. The move resulted in the kids being shuttled back and forth in blacked-out SUVs and limousines between their parent’s LA homes.

Another big factor in the couple’s battle has been Angelina’s desire to move the children abroad, with Brad vehemently opposed to her moving them to a foreign country.

Legal experts in Los Angeles say each have each spent millions in legal costs already – and say the custody battle could go on for three more years.

The custody trial was further delayed in 2020 after Angelina asked for the private judge to be replaced, claiming that he ‘failed to disclose’ that he was working other cases with one of Pitt’s lawyers.

Although they became legally single in 2019, their custody battle has raged on, in addition to the pair fighting over the winery they co-owned in France.

However, Angelina sold her half of the home and wine business in October 2021 to liquor giant Stoli, but Brad was not happy with her buyer and unsuccessfully tried to end the sale.

The parents-of-six still have not reached a settlement on how to split their multi-million dollar fortunes or the custody of their five underage kids. However, Brad reportedly pushes to see his kids ‘as often as possible wherever they all are in the world’ as Angelina continues to have primary custody.

Sharon Stone and Phil Bronstein

Their dream child: Stone married journalist Phil Bronstein in 1998 and the pair adopted their son Roan two years later, however they clashed over custody in 2008 – pictured in 2000

Sharon Stone, 64, married journalist Phil Bronstein, 71, in 1998, who worked as the executive editor of The San Francisco Examiner and San Francisco Chronicle.

The pair adopted their son, Roan Joseph Bronstein, two years later. However, the relationship turned sour with the journalist filing for divorce in 2003.

Bronstein was awarded primary custody of Roan in 2008, with a judge ruling that the child should stay in San Francisco.

Phil was awarded primary custody because he could provide a more ‘stable’ environment for the child, with Sharon getting visits from her son every month and having her phone number programmed into Roan’s mobile and home phones.

Court papers circulated at the time revealed that Stone wanted to put Botox in her son’s feet to keep them from smelling, and the judge reportedly said Stone’s ‘overreactions’ to medical issues were a painful ‘problem’ for the child, Hello Magazine reported.

Her boy: The Gloria star lost custody of her son in 2008 when a judge ruled that the child should stay in San Francisco with his father. Pictured in 2021

Family: Stone is mother to three adopted sons, Roan, 22, Laird, 16, and Quinn, 15 – pictured in 2018

‘Moreover, because it has come to a point where Father basically tunes Mother out because she has overreacted to so many alleged medical problems in the past,’ the judge added in the court papers.

Speaking to Saga magazine, the Hollywood star revealed she ‘couldn’t function’ after losing custody of her son, and would spend her days crying.

‘I couldn’t focus on anything but having my son back in my arms. Nothing else mattered, just getting him back,’ she explained.

She recalled when she had to speak at philanthropic event afterwards and remembered saying: ‘”God, please help me. I know I have to go out there and raise money. But I’ve lost my child, I’ve lost my health, I’ve lost everything.” I was just broken.’

After a ‘very long, very difficult game of custody chess’ which took 13 years – a now 22-year-old Roan lives with his mother. Stone has since signed a confidentiality agreement about the custody battle.

Meanwhile, Sharon also adopted her second son Laird Vonne, 16, in 2005, before adding her third son, Quinn Kelly Stone, 15, to the family in 2006. 

Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry

Glamorous couple: Halle Berry and model Gabriel Aubry welcomed daughter Nahla, 14, before they eventually split in 2010

Oscar-winner Halle Berry, 56, began dating model Gabriel Aubry, 45, in 2006 and the pair welcomed daughter Nahla, 14, together before they eventually split in 2010.

Although they insisted they would ‘remain friends and committed parents’, the pair were soon embroiled in a testy custody battle after Halle tried relocate their daughter to France to live with her then-husband Olivier Martinez.

Halle, who is now dating singer Van Hunt, claimed her daughter would be better protected due to strict privacy rules in France but a judge blocked the move.

During one custodial hand-over on the driveway of Halle’s home Oliver and Gabriel were involved in a bust up and were both treated for injuries.

By November 2012, Halle and Gabriel finally reached an amicable agreement that met both of their needs. In June 2014, Halle was ordered to pay Gabriel roughly $16,000 a month in child support.

Paying the cost: In June 2014, Halle was ordered to pay Gabriel roughly $16,000 a month in child support which she successfully halved in March 2021

Halle then filed legal documents requesting that her support payments were reduced by 80 per cent.

The former Bond girl claimed that Gabriel was ‘living off’ the payments she was sending as support for their daughter, according to TMZ.

Soon after Halle and Gabriel were back in court, after she claimed Gabriel straightened and dyed their daughter’s hair to make her look ‘more white’.

A judge ruled that neither parent can change Nahla’s natural hair texture or colour.

In March 2021, it was revealed that Halle had halved her support payments to $8,000 after renegotiating the terms of the custody agreement in court.

The new terms come after Halle branded child support payments ‘extortion’ in an impassioned social media rant and claimed the rules were ‘outdated’.

In addition, according to The Blast, Halle also gave Gabriel a retroactive support payment of $85,000 and paid his legal fees of $5,000.

The Monster’s Ball star will continue to pay for Nahla’s private school tuition and her health insurance, and if her annual income exceeds $1.95 million in any given year, she must hand over additional child support to Gabriel.

The former couple have also agreed to settle any future disputes with a private judge to avoid going through the court system and have agreed to exchange annual income information.

Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy

Bravo icon Bethenny Frankel and businessman Jason Hoppy had a rather contentious battle over their daughter Bryn

Bravo icon Bethenny Frankel, 51, met businessman Jason Hoppy, 51, in 2008 and the pair got engaged on season three of The Real Housewives of New York City after 11 months of dating.

A then-pregnant Bethenny was seen tying the knot with Jason in March 2010, with the journey airing on Bethenny Getting Married?

After welcoming their daughter Bryn, 12, the pair announced they had called it quits in 2012.

Despite only being married for just two years, the former couple spent nearly eight years battling it out in bitter divorce and custody proceedings.

The pair first reached a financial settlement in 2016, but continued to fight over Bryan. In 2017, a order of protection was put in place because Jason was charged with harassing and stalking the SkinnyGirl mogul after he appeared unannounced at Bryn’s school – which led to a confrontation between the exes. Bethenny then proceeded to sue for full custody of Bryn.

Finally over: Despite only being married for just two years, the former couple spent nearly eight years battling it out in bitter divorce and custody proceedings

Then in 2019, a divorce judgment couldn’t be issued because of the order of protection still being in place.

The reality star has an estimated net worth of $70million, and up until December 2021, had been paying child support to Jason.

At that time, it was revealed that Frankel no longer has to pay her ex child support, after he agreed to remove himself from the ‘toxic environment’ of their custody battle.

It was revealed in a remote court hearing that partly due to her parents’ nasty divorce battle, Frankel’s daughter Bryn has been suffering from ‘anxiety, hyperventilation and hives’ and often refuses to see her father.

“After having been awarded full legal custody of Bryn in 2020, she now has been awarded primary residential custody of Bryn as well,” her rep said at the time. “She is also no longer required to pay direct child support.”

Reflecting on the bitter proceedings in 2022, Bethenny noted that she spent 20 per cent of her life divorcing her ex but they were only married for two years.

Jon and Kate Gosselin 

Reality family: Jon and Kate Gosselin became one of the most famous parents in reality TV history thanks to their hit TLC show – however fame came with a price

Large brood: They have been locked in a bitter 14-year custody battle over their twins Mady and Cara, 21, and sextuplets, Hannah, Collin, Aaden, Alexis, Joel, and Leah, 17

Jon and Kate Gosselin became one of the most famous parents in reality TV history thanks to their hit TLC show, Jon and Kate Plus 8.

After shooting to fame following the launch of the series in 2007, the pair left fans across the world stunned when they revealed their plan to divorce in 2009.

The split led to a bitter 14-year custody battle over their twins Mady and Cara, 21, and sextuplets, Hannah, Collin, Aaden, Alexis, Joel, and Leah, 17.

The world watched on as the pair went in and out of court, with each visit seeing them levy new allegations against the other.

Amid the couple’s divorce proceedings, Jon, 45, told CNN’s Larry King in October 2009 that he didn’t want his children on TLC anymore.

After the network filed a breach of contract suit against Jon in October 2009, he filed a countersuit alleging that TLC violated Pennsylvania’s child labor laws. Jon and the network eventually reached a settlement in February 2010.

When the pair’s divorce was finalized in December 2009, the former spouses were granted shared physical custody of the kids, while Kate, 47, was given full legal custody.

But then Jon made moves to file an emergency petition for primary custody after his ex-wife joined the cast of Dancing With the Stars in April 2010.

Not co-parenting well: The pair left fans across the world stunned when they revealed their plan to divorce in 2009 – and have been fighting over their eight children ever since

The duo were headline news once again in August 2013 when Kate alleged that Jon had hacked her computer and phone in order to get personal information for a tell-all book titled Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled The World – which was written by his friend Robert Hoffman.

By 2016, Jon claimed he hadn’t seen all eight of his kids together in three years. Shortly after that, Kate revealed that Collin (one of the sextuplets) was seeking treatment for behavioral issues – with Jon making his disapproval clear in a statement from his lawyer.

Then August 2018 saw one of the twins, Hannah (another one of the sextuplets) move in with her father full time.

By December 2018, Jon was granted sole physical and sole legal custody of Collin after Kate and her lawyer did not show up to their scheduled court hearing. However, Collin then accused his father of punching him in the face’ in a since-deleted Instagram post.

Kate spoke to People at the time, telling the magazine that she does not “want [her] children around” her ex-husband. District Attorney John Adams confirmed at the time that no charges had been filed.

To date, Hannah and Collin remain with their father – who has not had much contact with the rest of his children as they continue to live with Kate.

Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake-Lee 

Long-running love: Jesse Williams, 41, was in a relationship with Aryn Drake-Lee, 40, for 13 years during which they welcomed daughter Sadie Williams and son Maceo Williams

Rocky road: Jesse filed for divorce in April 2017 which kicked off an arduous, three-year separation process

Actor Jesse Williams dated real estate broker Aryn Drake-Lee for five years before the pair tied the knot in September 2012. The couple welcomed daughter Sadie Williams and son Maceo Williams before Jesse filed for divorce in April 2017.

The divorce was finalized in October 2020, by which point the pair were locked in a tense battle over their children during what had been an arduous, three-year separation process.

Just a few months after they called it quits, the Grey’s Anatomy actor, 41, claimed his ex, 40, was restricting his access to the kids. Aryn responded by filing for sole physical and legal custody, claiming that she was the primary parental figure due to the actor’s unpredictable work schedule

The pair then reached a custody agreement in which they shared joint legal custody, according to TMZ.

Work it out: By 2021, Jesse and Aryn were ordered to attend a ‘high conflict’ parenting course due to their non-stop clashes over co-parenting

At the time it was reported that the actor had agreed to pay Aryn $100,000 for child and spousal support and $60,000 for other fees, including Aryn’s lawyer’s costs.

Soon, a Los Angeles court granted Jesse permission to have overnight visits with his kids as the pair continued to hash it out over small details.

The actor and his former partner slowly reached other terms including no Uber or Lyft rides for the kids, that both parents must childproof their homes and that they must ensure the kids wear helmets while riding bikes.

By 2021, Jesse and Aryn were ordered to attend a ‘high conflict’ parenting course after he reportedly ‘failed to modify previous court orders regarding custody and visitation’ of their two children. The parenting class was a ‘six-session online program, providing strategies for reducing conflicts in co-parenting relationships.’

Documents revealed at the time stated the couple agreed that they must ‘meet and confer with each other about posting images of the kids on social media.’

Reports also claimed that Jesse owed ‘$50,629 per month for the two kids up until October 2019, and then $40k per month after that.’

He was also responsible for paying Aryn spousal support of $50,695 for August 2019 and September 2019, with no further payments are required after that. At one point during their contentious divorce, Jesse was paying more than $100,000 in monthly support.

A judge also declared in October that Jesse could keep $936,810 made in profits since their split in 2017 from his Grey’s role.

In March 2022, TMZ reported that a ‘judge denied her request to reduce his physical time with the kids’ and instead gave Jesse ‘four consecutive days with the children’ and two of those days allowed to be on weekends.

The gossip site also reported that Jesse was granted ‘tie-breaking authority’ for 2022 regarding COVID-19 disputes if the former couple can’t agree on ‘vaccinations or face masks for the kids.’

In addition, ‘the judge agreed the actor can’t cancel and then un-cancel’ scheduled time with his children.

The former couple will meet with the court again to modify the custody agreement once summer is over.

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger

Famous clash: Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger’s custody battle over daughter Ireland Baldwin shocked fans after a brutal voicemail the actor left for his young daughter was leaked to the world

Kim Basinger, 68, and Alec Baldwin, 64, met on the set of the romantic comedy, The Marrying Man, in 1991 and went on to marry in 1993. 

Their daughter Ireland, 26, was born in 1995 and the couple then separated in 2000. However, their divorce was actually finalized in 2002. 

The split was followed by a bitter custody battle over their daughter. Kim’s father, Don Basinger, attributed the divorce to Alec’s short temper and allegedly uncontrollable anger, as reported by People at the time. 

In April 2007 Alec was humiliated when a voicemail he had left for his then-11-year-old daughter, in which he called her a ‘rude, thoughtless, little pig’, was leaked onto the internet. 

The 30 Rstar left the message when Ireland did not answer her phone during a court-appointed pre-arranged phone call and threatened to ‘straighten your little ass out’ and declared ‘you have humiliated me for the last time.’ 

He also described Basinger as ‘a thoughtless pain in the ass.’ Alec later blamed his brain snap on the endless custody battle and ‘parental alienation’. 

Made amends: In the voicemail, he called Ireland a ‘rude, thoughtless, little pig’ – but the pair have managed to move forward and build a close relationship – pictured in 2013

In 2004, the feuding pair were told to take ‘parent-centredness’ counselling to help them settle a bitter custody battle over their daughter because of the strain on her upbringing. 

The order was made by a judge who settled exactly when, where and for how long they can be with the child. Los Angeles Judge Roy Paul also set out strict rules for the pair to e-mail and fax each other so they avoid talking to each other. 

It was decided that Ireland would stay with her mother most of the time, but Alec could see her on the first and third weekends of the month, plus some Mondays. Alec was eventually forced to buy a home in Los Angeles so he could spend time with his daughter.

Ireland also alternated between her parents on her birthdays and there was a complex arrangement put in place for sharing Christmas and New Year evenly between them. 

Meanwhile Kim was ordered to install a “hotline” phone in her kitchen for emergency calls to her ex-husband. This followed a ruling that the pair must agree on all decisions on Ireland’s health, education and welfare. 

After years of accusations, over $3 million in legal fees, the court finally decided to award them joint custody of Ireland.

Kelly Rutherford and Daniel Giersch 

Legal twists: Actresss Kelly Rutherford’s custody battle with her businessman Daniel Giersch went international after he was deported from the United States

Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford’s custody battle with her businessman Daniel Giersch – best known for challenging Google’s rights to the Gmail trademark in Europe – took the most unexpected twists and turns as their fight went international.

The pair married in August 2006 and welcomed their son Hermés that same year. However, Kelly filed for divorce in December 2008 while pregnant with their daughter Helena amid clams her husband had been unfaithful.

Indeed, Daniel’s name was left of their daughter’s birth certificate when she arrived into the world in June 2009 and by August, Kelly and Daniel had reached a temporary settlement of joint physical custody for the coming year.

However, Daniel’s U.S. visa was revoked in April 2012 which led to his deportation from the States. With their father no longer able to enter the United States, he went on to live in France and Monaco.

A California judge went on to rule that it was in the best interest of the kids to live with their father, something which Kelly immediately began to fight. 

After enjoying a two-month summer vacation visit with her children in August 2015, Kelly refused to return her kids to her husband in Monaco – an act that her ex-husband described as tantamount to ‘kidnap.’

It was at this point that a judge ordered the children be taken back to Monaco for good and Kelly was banned from bringing them home to the US – meaning she could only visit them in Europe.

Frequent flyer: A California judge went on to rule that it was in the best interest of the kids to live with their father, something which Kelly immediately began to fight

The court order stipulated that the parents must make decisions concerning Hermes and Helena’s ‘health, schooling, religious education and any change of residence,’ jointly. But the children would live with their father with Kelly only permitted to ‘exercise her visiting and accommodation rights exclusively in France and Monaco.’ 

Her ex was also granted the right to obtain German passports for his children, something to which Kelly has long objected. 

Kelly filed a lawsuit demanding the court overturn the judge’s decision that very same day. She claimed that the original judge would not allow her or her lawyers to leave the courtroom until they had handed over her children and children’s passports – a bone of contention between her and her ex-husband. 

The actress branded her husband’s claims that he did not know where his children were a lie and also said that his emergency petition for the return of the children was unwarranted leaving her little or no time to respond to the petition.

They will spend half of Christmas, spring and summer vacations with their father and half with their mother, with their father receiving the lion’s share of contact as the children will not only live with him but spend all of All Saints and the winter with him. 

The actress received just over $3000 a month in maintenance. It was blow for the actress who was forced to file for bankruptcy in May 2013 after years of litigation fees reportedly totaling around $1.4million. 

Since the final ruling, Kelly has been regularly traveling back and forth to Europe to visit with her children.