Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Editor's Picks
Editor's PicksSports

Dwight Howard’s Child Support Case Gets More Testy

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: CommentsComments (1)

Dwight Howard’s child custody battle with his former girlfriend Royce Reed is getting so expensive that the former Basketball Wives “star” is asking the Los Angeles Lakers’ center to pay her lawyer fees.

Because Howard presumably has unlimited financial resources, Reed — formerly seen on the VH1′s reality show — filed a court motion in Florida for the NBA star to her legal bill that could rise as high as $100K or more before it’s all said and done.

TMZ said that Howard is seeking sole custody of his son, but the legal battle may not be fought on a level playing field from Reed’s point of view:

“According to the docs, Royce claims that Dwight rakes in over $1.3 million per month and should cough up the cash, otherwise, the fight’s not fair. She claims he can hire an army of lawyers … while she’ll get buried in bills and eventually have to drop out.

“In the docs, her lawyer says she’s already racked up a $44,113.50 bill and is expected to tack on another $60k plus if she continues to fight. . .  for a grand total of $106,621.80.”

Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic (where he had spent his entire career) to the Lakers in August 2012. Reed was a Magic cheerleader when they met.

When it comes a contentious legal struggle in family court over alimony, child support, or custody, the lawyers often come out as the only winners, unfortunately, because the meter is running. Generally speaking, the law presumes — at least until the evidence proves otherwise — that joint custody rather than sole custody is appropriate.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top