Custody Battles

Kim Zolciak is firing back at her estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, defending her abilities as a mother and accusing Kroy of years of emotional and mental abuse.

Kim's attorney, David Beaudry, issued a blistering statement to TMZ Tuesday, telling us Kroy's attempt to paint Kim as a bad mother is not only misleading and harmful to the reality star, but to the couple's young kids, too.

Beaudry continues, "The emotional and mental abuse Kim has suffered from this man for so many years has taken a toll on her and, most heartbreakingly, their children. Kim has always been an extremely devoted mother to her children; they are her entire world and she is always there to love and support them every step of the way."

Finally saying, "She refuses to allow Kroy to paint her as something she is not for his own gain. Kim looks forward to the day we can appear in court and solve these issues once and for all."

As we reported, Kroy filed docs earlier this week stating he was concerned Kim may go on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and talk about their divorce.

He's asked the court to set up some sort of protection for their 4 kids while the divorce proceedings move forward.

Kroy claims he's tried his best to protect the kids, but says Kim's constantly talking in an "abusive" and "derogatory tone" about the divorce when they're all around.

To say the split has been nasty would be an understatement -- for starters, each filed their own petitions for divorce -- and there's a massive struggle over custody. What's more -- Kim's accused Kroy of having an issue with smoking too much pot ... and he says she's a gambling addict.

Kroy Biermann knows his estranged wife, Kim Zolciak, has zero filter when it comes to talking drama on camera, and he's worried about how it might impact their children.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the former NFL star filed a motion to appoint a guardians ad litem -- meaning someone who would essentially make sure the best interests of the kids are represented during the divorce proceedings.

Kroy claims he's tried his best to keep the estranged couple's minor kids -- Kroy Jr., Kash, and twins Kaia and Kane -- away from all the noise Kim's been making about their split, but adds she's constantly dragging him and talking in an "abusive" and "derogatory tone" about the divorce.

He's also concerned Kim will use her 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' outlet to garner more attention ... noting she's already alleged he smokes too much pot to take care of the kids, something he insists she has no proof to support.

Kroy doesn't hold back -- saying she's the one who's not paying enough attention to their kids lately and has been spending too much time on virtual slot machines ... adding one of the few times she does pay attention is when she lets them gamble on her account.

What's more, he says he's concerned she's taking videos of herself while driving with the kids in the car, and says he's picked up most of the slack since they let go of their nannies and chefs ... although he does say Kim has made a few meals for the kids like chicken fingers and frozen pizza.

TMZ broke the story, Kim recently posted a pic of herself with some 'RHOA' cast members -- leading many to speculate she was back to filming on the show. However, our sources say the photo was taken a few months back -- before the split -- and Kim only filmed a cameo.

Kim Zolciak knows how to promote herself, teasing a comeback to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" on the heels of her divorce, but fans aren't gonna get the tea on her split ... TMZ has learned.

Kim shared a group pic Thursday with 'RHOA' OG cast members Sheree Whitfield, Lisa Wu and DeShawn Snow. "See you soon 🎥 @bravotv #RHOA". Of course, fans immediately began to speculate Kim was brought back on the show because of her divorce with Kroy Biermann.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us … Kim's got a cameo on the upcoming season 15 of the series, which is currently airing on Bravo. We're told Kim will appear on the show in a small capacity and when she filmed with the other ATL ladies, it was several months ago before the divorce.

Sources connected to the show tell us 'RHOA' is not currently in production and there are currently no conversations being had between Kim and producers to bring her on full-time or to cover the fallout between her and Kroy.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Kroy filed for divorce after 11 years and 4 kids.

As we reported, the former NFL star accused Kim of having a gambling problem and she's accused him of being a pothead who needs to take a drug test. Remember, Kroy has asked for sole physical and legal custody of their kids while Kim is asking for primary physical custody.

On top of that, the estranged couple is dealing with financial issues ... deep in the hole, owing more than $1 million to the IRS.

Kroy Biermann aced a good parenting test in the midst of his nasty divorce with Kim Zolciak ... and turns out he completed the course before she finished a similar one.

The former NFL star completed a mandatory course in Georgia -- "Parent Education For Separating/Divorcing Families" -- last month and he scored 99% on the quizzes and final exam.

Kroy filed a certificate of completion with the court, obtained by TMZ, and he got his work done before his estranged wife did.

As we reported ... Kim completed a seminar on "Navigating Family Change" on May 25 ... but Kroy's certificate shows he finished his online course May 17, a full week before Kim. BTW ... the course is mandatory for couples with kids seeking a divorce.

Remember, Kroy is asking for sole custody of the estranged couple's four kids ... Kim's asking for primary physical custody, so this is a full-on dogfight.

The course focuses on helping parents make divorce easier on children ... and it sounds like they need to apply the skills they learned.

The divorce has been exceedingly nasty ... with Kroy ripping Kim for what he says is a gambling addiction, while she claimed he's a pothead who needs to take a drug test.

Kim Zolciak allegedly assaulted her estranged husband Kroy Biermann and the cops responded to their Georgia home ... but she wasn't arrested.

Two officers arrived at the couple's house in Atlanta on May 4 after receiving a call of a domestic dispute ... this according to the NY Post, citing a police document.

Kroy told police Kim punched him in the head during a heated argument over their assets, but had no visible injuries and refused medical treatment.

Per the police report ... Kroy decided not to press charges against "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum despite having a recording of their encounter.

But that's not all ... the report states Kroy locked Kim's pricey pocketbooks and jewelry into a safe, claiming it was all joint marital property. He said he planned to sell the items to offset losses incurred by Kim's gambling addiction, noting she had recently suffered a heavy loss.

On the other hand, Kim told cops she owned all the goods -- totaling $175,000 -- having acquired them before she tied the knot with the ex-NFL linebacker.

The officers checked out the contents of the safe and found some valuables -- such as Kim's passport in a Louis Vuitton case -- but no fancy purses.

Bam Margera is having a meltdown because he hasn't seen his son in over two months ... threatening to smoke crack until he's dead, unless he gets to see his kid.

The former "Jackass" star just posted an alarming rant on his newest social media account, ripping his family and his estranged wife, Nikki.

Bam says Nikki and his relatives are driving him to drink ... and he says waking up every day knowing he's probably not going to be able to speak to his son, Phoenix, makes things even worse.

At the end of the video, Bam threatens to go down to the boardwalk to smoke crack with the bums until he's dead or until Nikki allows him to see his son.

Remember ... Bam's desperate to have a relationship with Phoenix, who he hasn't seen since the end of March, with Bam's legal team claiming Nikki won't even let them talk over FaceTime.

Meanwhile, Nikki just filed new legal docs this week seeking sole physical and legal custody over Phoenix, plus $15k a month in child support.

In those docs, Nikki says visitation for Bam can be on the table as long as it's supervised and he completes rehab programs for drug and alcohol abuse.

But, Bam's throwing a fit and demanding to see Phoenix ASAP.

Bam's also addressing his beef with his brother, Jess Margera ... remember, Jess claimed Bam attacked him at his Pennsylvania home and now Bam's barred from the property.

Bam Margera wants a judge to dismiss his divorce pronto and let him hang out with his son ... but his estranged wife Nikki is pushing back.

Bam's legal team just filed new docs asking a judge to set an earlier court hearing on Bam and Nikki's divorce, with the former "Jackass" star making it clear he doesn't want to wait 2 more months for his day in court.

The hearing is currently set for July 11, but Bam says Nikki's not allowing him to see their son, Phoenix ... so he wants the judge to step in and get the ball rolling ASAP.

TMZ broke the story ... Nikki filed for legal separation back in February, citing irreconcilable differences and asking for legal and physical custody over Phoenix, as well as spousal support.

In his emergency filing, Bam is also claiming he was never legally married to Nikki in the first place.

Nikki also filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, claiming there's no reason to rush everyone back in front of a judge. Nikki says she's abiding by the custody orders and Bam is still able to see their kid.

In the docs, Nikki shades Bam ... she says he can see their son, as long as he's in California and not under the influence.

Nikki's attorney, David Glass, tells TMZ ... "Mr. Margera continues to claim to be the 'injured' party because he isn't seeing Phoenix – even though he placed himself 3000 miles away after exposing the child to abuse and drug/alcohol abuse."

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's divorce war seems to have been triggered by financial woes, and the latest turn -- selling her wigs -- seems to underscore what's behind it all.

Kim has put some of her personal items, including those blonde wigs, up for sale on her online website, The Biermann's Closet. The wigs are pricey ... up to $2,750. There are 7 in all, which start at $1,500.

As you know, the wigs were a signature on her reality show, and now they can be yours.

There have been allegations of gambling, drug use and more in the bitter divorce. Kim wants primary custody of their kids, while Kroy wants sole custody ... with each accusing the other of being an unfit parent.

Their home went into foreclosure back in February ... and there were signs the marriage was in trouble before TMZ broke the story they had both filed for divorce after 11 years of marriage. They also owe more than $1 million in back taxes.

Kroy Biermann says his estranged wife, Kim Zolciak, spends so much time gambling their money away online, she can't take care of their kids ... and now he's asking the judge to order a mental evaluation for her.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kroy says Kim's been showing some "very troubling behavior" that's accelerated in the months leading up to their divorce.

Kroy claims Kim has admitted to him that she's spending a lot of time and money on online gambling and other games of chance, and he claims her "compulsion" has devastated the family financially.

What's more, Kroy claims Kim is so consumed with online gambling she's unable to properly care for the couple's four minor children ... and as a result, he says he's concerned for the kiddos' safety and well-being.

Kroy says it's in the best interest of their kids for Kim to sit for a psych exam ... he suspects her alleged gambling problem may be the result of underlying mental health issues like depression, anxiety, narcissistic personality disorder, bipolar disorder or ADHD.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Kroy are deep in the hole, owing more than $1 million to the IRS.

The divorce is getting uglier by the day ... Kroy's legal papers come on the heels of Kim asking a judge to step in and force Kroy to get a drug test.

As we first reported ... both Kim and Kroy filed separate divorce petitions earlier this month, and they are both seeking custody of the kids ... and the recent filings indicate things are getting nasty.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's divorce has telltale signs it's already super nasty ... with a war brewing over the estranged couple's children and broken finances.

We've now obtained Kroy's petition for divorce, and he wants sole legal and physical custody of the pair's 4 minor children. That in itself is an aggressive move, essentially cutting his estranged wife out of the child-rearing process.

Kim's legal docs also reveal things are not kumbaya. She's asking for sole physical custody with visitation for Kroy. When couples get along, they typically ask for joint legal and physical custody, but neither seems to want that.

There's also the couple's home -- which went into foreclosure earlier this year. Kroy's asking for possession of the home ... and that Kim be forced to vacate the property. Again, super aggressive.

TMZ broke the story, Kim and Kroy owe more than $1 million in taxes, dating back to 2013.

Kroy puts Kim on notice in his divorce petition, saying she must maintain all financial documents ... including all income records, tax records, expense records and more. This suggests a deep conflict over who was responsible for their financial woes.

Interestingly enough, both Kim and Kroy filed separate petitions for divorce, Kroy's was stamped on Monday ... and we're told Kim filed hers over the weekend. In other words, it was a race to the courthouse so each could say they filed first to end the marriage.

Halsey and her boyfriend Alev Aydin are calling it quits, and she wants to make sure their son is, primarily, with her when the dust settles.

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... the "You Should Be Sad" singer is seeking primary physical custody of their 1-year-old son, Ender. In the filing, Halsey notes she wants to share legal custody with Alev ... and she's fine with him getting visitation with Ender.

It's unclear what might have caused the breakup, but there are reports it's amicable.

Halsey and the writer/producer have been together for more than 3 years. You'll recall, she announced they were expecting a new baby together in January of 2021.

Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde are hot and cold -- one minute they're duking it out in court, the next they're all kumbaya in public ... and this time, it's the latter they're showing.

The exes were spotted attending their son's soccer game together in L.A. Saturday, and wouldn't you know it -- they actually looked super happy and chill around one each other ... even sitting in the stands side by side, and giving one another a hug on the way out.

It's interesting they were acting this way out in the open ... for a couple reasons, actually.

For starters, we saw similar behavior from Jason and Olivia earlier this year -- when they were hugging it out after apparently leaving some sort of meeting they were both at. At the time, it seemed everything between them was water under the bridge ... but it wasn't.

Since then ... we know they've been waging war behind the scenes, filing court paperwork in their ongoing custody battle ... with Olivia recently taking home a big W. As we reported ... a judge finally ruled that their case will be heard in L.A. and not in NY (where JS wanted).

Remember, they share two young children together ... Otis and Daisy, who are 8 and 6, respectively. The family had lived in the Big Apple for a while -- but the courts have now decided, once and for all hopefully, that their primary residence is, in fact, in Los Angeles.

Perhaps this latest outing is them actually turning a new leaf and waiving the white flag -- or, it could just be optics. However cynical you are will dictate where you land.

One other reason this is kinda neat to see ... Jason is very famous for playing Ted Lasso in the self-titled Apple show, which is a huge hit -- and whose third season just started.

Jason Sudeikis thanked his kids at the Emmys -- reminding folks he's in a nasty custody battle with Olivia Wilde, perhaps unintentionally.

The actor was delivering an acceptance speech Monday after his show, "Ted Lasso," won for Outstanding Comedy Series ... and toward the end, he name-dropped his young son and daughter, Otis and Daisy.

It sorta flew under the radar, as not everyone knows his children's names by heart -- but it was there ... and if you've been following along, it may run deeper than a simple shout-out.

As you know, both Jason and Olivia have been at war lately over where their kids should live, and how much time they spend with each parent -- a case that's not yet settled, but which has had a lot of bumps along the way ... including a public serving of documents earlier this year.

A process server, acting on Jason's behalf, dropped legal docs at Olivia's feet while she was presenting for her new movie at CinemaCon -- something she later called "vicious."

JS denied having planned it to happen that way deliberately, but OW thinks otherwise. In the end, Olivia walked away with a win ... getting a judge to side with her that their custody case should be heard in L.A. and not New York, which is where Jason wanted to hash things out.

None of that drama was on display, though, when Jason was speaking ... he was all smiles with his cast onstage, and didn't further allude to the fight with Olivia whatsoever. Although, he might have been wondering if he was about to get served.

BTW ... Jason took his good vibes and carried them on outside the venue. We ran into him on the street after the show, and the dude was totally engaging with fans ... snapping selfies and signing a ton of autographs. He even gave 'em some life advice.

Kevin Federline is spilling the alleged tea about his kids' relationship with their mom, Britney Spears -- saying their boys don't want to see her right now ... for myriad reasons.

The singer's ex-husband -- with whom she shares two boys, Jayden and Sean -- did a wide-ranging interview with DailyMail ... portions of which are apparently going to be aired on ITV this coming week. Still, some juicy quotes surfaced in the print version of their story.

For starters, Kevin says their sons are deliberately choosing to avoid Britney right now. He doesn't give a clear-cut reason or explanation in DM's post -- but there are hints that they might wanna keep their distance over a number of things, including Brit's behavior of late.

He says, "The boys have decided they are not seeing her right now. It's been a few months since they've seen her. They made the decision not to go to her wedding," going on to add that they were happy for her and that they still wish their mother the best.

One possibility for why they're keeping her at arm's length ... it's actually Britney's constant social media posting -- her nudes, specifically -- that have caused her teenagers embarrassment. KF says he's tried to explain it away, but it's hard on them regardless.

Kevin goes on to say the very public nature of the conservatorship battle has been difficult, generally speaking, and he's tried to shield them from it/the spotlight as best he can ... despite their constant questions about it over the years, some of which he couldn't answer.

He also says Jamie Spears "saved her life" -- and that he'd welcome their grandfather back into his and their life at large, despite the drama that's gone down between them recently.

Anyway, back to Britney. Kevin also had this to say ... while the boys would visit Britney amid her conservatorship, they saw things that made him (and presumably them as well) fairly uncomfortable, but he declines to go into detail with DM.

In light of that, though, as well as her recent lashing out on social media ... he says Sean and Jayden have reached their decision -- and that choice, for now, is to stay away.

Kevin adds, "They tried to give her the benefit of the doubt but at the same time, I can tell that sometimes, it hurts to be in that position. So, I made sure all my kids can come to me at any moment and discuss anything. The boys -- all my kids -- know that they come to me and to my wife and discuss anything."

Ant Anstead believes "Flip or Flop" star Christina Haack has created a dangerous environment for their son -- putting him at medical risk and using him as a social media pawn -- so he's asking a judge for full custody.

In explosive docs, obtained by TMZ, Ant says Christina has been mostly absent from 2-year-old Hudson's life -- spending an average of "9 full days each month" with him over the last 20 months.

Not only that, Ant claims when Christina does have Hudson in her care, she blasts him all over social media, including in paid posts, and he wants the judge to make it stop.

Ant says earlier this month, after spending time with Christina, Hudson came back with an awful sunburn that was so bad it left him crying in pain ... Anstead claims when he texted Christina about it, she responded, " ... it didn't feel hot. Give him some Tylenol im sure it will be better tomorrow."

Ant also says back in January, she returned Hudson to him without disclosing her family all had COVID. He says, "At the time my partner (who we know is Renée Zellweger) was filming her new project and her covid diagnosis placed the whole production on pause."

Then he gets into Christina's escapade with hallucinogenic toad venom. As we reported, she revealed back in July she had taken the drug ... Ant uses it as another example of Christina's ability to be an unsafe parent.

Ant says they currently have a shared arrangement for Hudson, but he's now asking for full custody -- with Christina getting alternating weekends ... he also wants the judge to prevent her from posting Hudson in any "commercial endeavor" unless he agrees to it.

Christina tells us, "What Ant is doing deeply saddens me. If this was really about Hudson, as he says, this should have been handled privately with a private judge or mediation, as myself and my attorney have suggested. I have had my share of ups and downs but I am a good mom and I love my children with all my heart and I will always protect them."

Olivia Wilde endured a bit of embarrassment at CinemaCon this week -- while she was in the middle of screening the trailer of her new movie -- her ex served her legal docs.

The awkward moment was seen by multiple people who were in the room Tuesday when OW was on hand in Vegas to screen a never-before-seen trailer for her erotic thriller flick "Don't Worry Darling" -- which stars her beau Harry Styles and Florence Pugh.

The word is ... while Olivia was talking on stage, somebody came up and placed a manila envelope right down next to her at her feet -- which was marked 'Personal and Confidential.'

Olivia was photographed picking it up, taking a peek inside ... and then carrying on like nothing had really happened. But something certainly had -- according to Deadline, there were court papers in there courtesy of Jason Sudeikis ... with whom she shares two children.

The outlet says, citing sources, the docs involve child custody. As you know, they publicly split about a year and some change ago ... and since then, she's been in a whirlwind romance with Harry -- whom she also cast in her highly-anticipated film.

It appears that Jason and Olivia were getting along okay in the wake of their split -- but this clearly suggests otherwise. You gotta figure Jason wouldn't just do this to embarrass her if he didn't have to ... so, presumably, he hadn't been able to get these to her in a normal setting.

In any case, it definitely isn't pretty -- and lends to the idea that ... maybe they're not so copacetic as they put on. Also, this could potentially mean a custody battle is brewing. 😬