Marlon Wayans‘ ex-girlfriend, Brittany Moreland, is requesting full primary custody of their 19-month-old daughter, Axl July Ivory Wayans, and the comedian wants the courts to intervene in his parental role in the child’s life.
On July 8, Wayans filed for joint custody in Los Angeles County Superior Court, in response to Moreland’s March 2024 petition for full legal and physical custody that only allows her child’s dad to have visitation rights.
Her request for almost exclusive parental rights and child support seems to have deeply offended Wayans, who claims he already pays an exuberant $18,000 monthly to maintain his infant daughter.
According to People, Moreland’s court filings justify the high amount by noting Axl spends “95 percent of her time with [Moreland] and only 5 percent with [Wayans].” Of the requested support, she tells the court he rakes in $200,000 a month — enough for him to foot her monthly expenses, which total $21,000, including $5,000 for rent and $9,000 for child care, groceries, and related living expenses.
Wayans expressed his frustration in an interview with The Shade Room, saying, “Do you pay all that money per month and be called a ‘visitor?’ Do the math. This is delusional. I will let the lawyers and God do what they do.”
He later added with a hint of humor, “It’s the classic case of a good, loving, responsible father shelling out over $18K per month for a 1-year-old, and an entitled woman decides she wants more. … My mama and dem would’ve lost their minds for $2K.”
The “Good Grief” stand-up comedian, who also has two adult children, Kai and Shawn, whom he had with ex Angela Zachary, has demonstrated his commitment to being involved in Axl’s life beyond the stipulated 5 percent. He takes her on trips and appears to balance daddy-daughter time with his busy work schedule.
During a WGN Morning News appearance on June 12, Wayans attempted to conduct an interview with Dean Richards while his sandy-haired toddler AXL peeked into the camera frame. Richards remarked on Wayans’ seemingly relaxed demeanor, prompting Wayans to clarify that he was far from chilling.
“I got this little … I got the hardest job right now,” he said, glancing at Axl off screen. “This little 1 1/2 … They will run you wild.”
In the latest legal documents obtained by People, Wayans formally acknowledged his parental relationship with Axl, following up on his December 2022 voluntary declaration of parentage filing. He is advocating for the court to mandate equal time with his daughter and has requested joint legal and physical custody, proposing to share legal fees with Moreland.
Wayans argues he has no problem paying for what Axl needs as far as monthly expenses. But he is pushing for a fair distribution of pregnancy and birth expenses, as well as attorney fees and other costs related to the custody proceedings.
Moreland is identified in court documents as an “unemployed graduate student” in California, and she previously asked Wayans to bear all these financial responsibilities.
“All these women having to drag men to court who pay nothing towards their children. And here, a woman gets a doctor’s salary and says it isn’t enough? I’ve had two children before this,” Wayans told the gossip outlet. “I’ve never had this problem. I’m a good man with a good heart and strong sense of responsibility, but I refuse to be used and discredited.”
Some fans support the “White Chicks” star, suggesting Moreland is inflating her expenses for a quick financial gain. In her paperwork, she requested upward of $21,000 a month for Axl’s care.
“Brittany is alleging her monthly expenses related to Axl total about $21,000. She broke down the costs, citing $5,000 for rent, $9,000 for food, daycare, and other expenses, and an additional $1,500 for her daughter’s clothing and program uniforms,” commented a viewer on a video about the custody battle. “She’s also reportedly seeking an additional $2,000 per month under the label ‘child care’ so she can return to work. As a reminder, the child is about 12 months old.”
Another person agreed, “$22k just to raise a baby is crazy to me.”
Some fans lump Wayans in with other fathers required to send substantial child support payments. But critics argue that he should have known better given his age.
One YouTube comment stated, “Ain’t going to lie, Marlon played himself cause he is 51 and she’s in her early 30s. What did he think was going to happen? She trying to get to the bag.”
Another comment humorously referenced Wayans’ brother, “I know Shawn popped him upside the head and went ‘Way to go, stupid!’ Sorry, I was watching some reruns of The Wayans Bros. earlier today and it’s the first thing that came to mind after seeing this video title.”
Sadly the daughter is just a pawn so the mom can receive a lot of tax free monthly child support so she doesn't have to work!
— commonsensesgt (@commonsensesgt) July 10, 2024
Marlon Wayans Files for Joint Custody of 18-Month-Old Daughter After Ex Brittany Moreland Asks for Full Custody https://t.co/8gBCiC8JYn via @Yahoo
People posted the news on its Instagram page and many people sided with Moreland, believing that she should get as much as she can.
But still many blasted her on behalf of Wayans for not thinking about the child first.
One comment read, “18 grand a month isn’t enough child support for the momma. Ridiculous. Most of us would love to make 18 grand a month.”
As an independent filmmaker and producer, Wayans has a “eat what he kills” mentality about making money. So, at the same time he was preparing the filing in the California court, he has been preparing for his fall Wild Child Tour and preparing for a new special.
On his social media he has been joking that he will be doing meet-and-greets like Chris Brown, who charged upward of $1,000 for a chance to take solo photos with him and kick it backstage.
This custody case is pending.
