15 Celebrity Custody Battles

Kids can be of great joy to couples, even celebrity couples. But they can also be a bone of contention that makes the once loving partners total enemies.

One of the problems is that celebrities often have very busy schedules, and when that happens, they are prone to leave the little ones in the care of nannies and relatives. Visiting times get screwed up and unfortunately, common kid accidents became major events blown out of proportion and then the games begin. One parent accuses another of negligence and because they are public figures, the littlest spats become major stories.

Before you know it, the parents - once a loving couple - aren't speaking to each other, except through high-priced lawyers and court papers.

Custody battles are some of the ugliest scenes in Hollywood, only matched by the ability of the actors to light up the silver screen.

Sometimes the kids are too young to understand, and sadly, they can become pawns in a game of who's gonna win the fight. In some cases, kids have actually divorced their parents! That was done by Macaulay Culkin, Jaime Presley, Aaron Carter, Juliette Lewis and Drew Barrymore, just to name a few of celebrity cases.

Most of the time, though, the children have their time divided up between their parents, and what goes on with one can become the fodder of the gossip rags, which can turn an ordinary visit into another reason for the parents to battle in court over everything from money to who's actually watching the offspring.

15 Tyrese Breaks Down On Social Media Over Custody Of Daughter

Currently on the news is the ugly battle being waged between R&B singer and actor Tyrese (Fast & Furious) over his 10-year-old daughter Shayla. Early November he broke down on social media hours before the latest court appearance. Tyrese is literally in tears as he cries “Don't take my baby away” as he details the fact that he hasn't been able to see his daughter for two months. Apparently, his ex-wife Norma has applied for a restraining order against him. The singer, who was discovered during a Coke commercial, also complains that his rich friends aren't supporting him. Tyrese also complains about being cash strapped because he has to pay Norma $13,000 a month in child support. However, Celebrity Net Worth projects the singer/actor's net worth at more than $10 million. The battle over Shayla began when Norma claimed that Tyrese beat the girl so hard on numerous occasions that she told her mother “It hurts when I sit down.” Tyrese denies the charges.

14 Seal And Heidi Klum, She Wanted Full Custody, He Wanted Joint

A lof of people were taken aback when super model Heidi Klum married pop singer Seal. She was the stunning runway princess and he was the talented but tribal scarred African. Then they married and here came the kids… three of their own plus her daughter from a previous relationship, whom Seal adopted. They seemed to be one big happy family. Then came the split, amid rumors that Klum had cheated on the “Kiss From A Rose” singer with of all people, her bodyguard. Klum filed for primary custody, but Seal did not agree and wanted joint custody. It took them two years to hammer out an arrangement, but ironically in the end, the two seemed to get past their bitter divorce and put the kids first. Today Klum and Seal are often seen together at their kids' soccer games, birthday parties and other family gatherings.

13 Alec Baldwin And Kim Basinger Fought For Ireland

Alec Baldwin does one heck of an impression of President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, but his parenting skills were severely questioned by ex-wife, actress Kim Basinger back in the day. The two waged a custody battle on and off again a few times, and of course it played out in the media. After the first battle was settled, Baldwin got it started again by calling the cops when Basinger failed to hand over their daughter at the designated time and place. Baldwin filed papers seeking additional parental rights and wrote in his filing that he felt his daughter Ireland was in a tense situation where she wasn't allowed to speak of her true affection for her dad because of her mother's “all-consuming and bitter feelings” toward Baldwin. This summer, Baldwin was roasted on Spike TV's One Night Only, and daughter Ireland was there to remind pops of that infamous phone message when he called her a “thoughtless, rude little pig.” Now 21, Ireland let everyone know her dad and her are in a good state, but she reminded him of that day 10 years ago, and she also told the audience he would never do that to her again because “I'm 6'2” and I would kick his a**.”

12 Kelly Rutherford And Daniel Giersch Take On International Battle

It's doubtful that Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford ever imagined the man she once loved, married, and had babies with would ever keep her kids from her. And what makes this situation so much more complicated than the usual celebrity public custody drama is the fact that the kids are in a foreign country, where U.S. regulations don't really matter. Kelly's son and daughter reside with her ex, Daniel Giersch, in Monaco. At one point during their ongoing battle (eight years long), his visa was revoked and he has yet to re-apply. Kelly offered to bring the kids to him when he wanted to see them, but instead he took them out of the country and has gone so far as to say they will never set foot on American soil again, and U.S. courts have failed to do anything to make him bring back the kids. She goes to see them, but between legal fees and travel costs, she was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2016. The girl, Helena Grace is 8, and the boy, Hermes Gustaf Daniel, is 11. Rutherford still has to fly to Monaco to see them, and then she is not allowed in Giersch's home - she has to meet them in a neutral place. Now that's ugly.

11 Mama Warned Usher About Tameka Foster

Associated Press / Reporters

When Usher first wanted to marry Tameka Foster, his mama manager (Jonetta Patton) objected. Perhaps she was leery of the fact that Tameka was older, already had kids, and had been married. Rumors were that Jonetta wanted a pre-nup for her superstar son, and after one was signed, the two got hitched. All seemed well for four, five years, and then came the sudden divorce and then the battle began over custody of their two sons, which were 4 and 5 at the time (2013). Things got complicated when the oldest, known as Cinco because his real name is Usher V, had an accident in the pool while in Usher's custody. Tameka claimed Usher was an absentee father and often left the kids in the care of family members who were not up to taking care of the young boys. Testimony came from both sides and a lot of tears were shed in the courtroom. In the end, the judge ruled against Tameka and Usher has custody of the boys to this day. (Awww… Usher tried to console Tameka after the judge ruled against her.)

10 Blac Chyna And Tyga And Rob Kardashian

That Blac Chyna, who doesn't sing, act or dance (that we know of) sure knows how to pick 'em. First it was rapper Tyga. The two hooked up and it was supposedly love, resulting in a baby boy they named King Cairo. The two didn't stay together though, and when the little one was just 2 years old, Blac filed for primary custody. Her reasoning was that she didn't want him bouncing from home to home, as she was getting ready to put him in pre-school. She also didn't want King Cairo around Tyga's flame at the time, Kylie Jenner, who was a minor at the time. Blac has maintained custody, with Tyga taking the boy when she travels and on arranged visits. Then Blac hooks up with Rob Kardashian. Everyone said it wouldn't last, and it didn't. But it did go on long enough for the two to get engaged and produce a child named Dream. And then you guessed it… Rob and Blac called it quits and a battle began for custody of Dream. And here's the kicker… Tyga says he is willing to take Blac's side in the battle for Dream! At press time, word was that for now Rob and Blac were sharing custody of the little one. And there's one more thing - now Kylie is an adult and is reportedly pregnant with a child with rapper Travis Scott.

9 Ciara And Future Battle For Future

When singer Ciara and rapper Future were a couple, they were the hottest thing in Atlanta since soul food. They had a baby together and named the little guy Future, too. Then came the split but the battle of baby Future didn't actually begin until Ciara started dating Super Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson and he was seen in public cooing over little Future. And here came the fireworks. Ciara and daddy Future went at it like two big horn sheep, butting heads mostly on social media at a furious pace. She accused him of being negligent when the baby was in his care, and that the little one would come back from visiting smelling weird. He insulted her career and she sued him for $15 million for defamation. Ciara even told TMZ at one point that she was worried jealous Future would try to have Wilson "taken care of". It wasn't until early this year that Future and Ciara settled their years-long and very public battle. While they now share joint custody, little Future will spend most of his time with Ciara and Wilson, as big Future's career is said to be very demanding of his time (plus word is he has at least six other children). Wilson and Ciara have expanded the family as well… Ciara gave birth to a baby girl - Sienna Princess - at the end of April.

8 Chris Brown And Nia Guzman War Over Royalty

Thank goodness these two were actually never married. Chris Brown and his baby mama fight like cats and dogs. It's difficult to believe they once liked each other enough to make a baby. Her name is Royalty and since she was born three years ago, a war has raged between her mom and pop. The custody battle has made its way to court numerous times, the last time late last year when a judge refused to order that the little one's time be monitored when she is with her dad Chris Brown. Mama Nia claimed Brown was a drug user and that his alleged affiliation with gang members made Royalty's time with him dangerous. A judge said there is no proof of that, and as of now, joint custody of the little girl stands. Brown gets her 12 days a month. She's just 3 but she already has her own clothing line simply called Royalty Brown Clothing. It features two-piece sets and colorful graphics. What were you doing when you were 3?

7 Rocco Runs Away From Madonna To Guy Ritchie

One minute Madonna is adopting kids from Malawi and the next she is fighting her ex over her own son, and across two different countries. It all began in December 2015, when the son of the Material Girl and former husband Guy Ritchie “escaped" while on tour with Madonna. Rocco, 15, fled his famous mom's side to live with his dad and wife and three siblings. Not only did the teen run away from Madonna's presence, he also blocked her having access to his social media feeds. Filmmaker Ritchie, whose credits include Sherlock Holmes, was in no hurry to send the boy back to his mom, and the battle for custody of Rocco began. The drama began to play out over the holidays, with each parent trying to use social media to gain public opinion. Madonna posted a loving picture of herself and Rocco, calling him the sunshine of her life. But inside sources said the two were not on the best of terms, with her actually threatening to send him to military school. Apparently Madonna was the strict disciplinarian while Ritchie was more lenient. Right before the three were supposed to go before a judge last September, they settled their differences. Rocco was going back to London to finish school but would visit mom as frequently as she desired.

6 Charlie Sheen And Denise Richards Fight Over Girls, And The Ish Hits The Fan

Charlie Sheen had a hit show on his hands, where he played Charlie Harper, a man of excess when it came to women and drinking. Along the way, the actor seemed to take the character as his own in real life. In fact, he even married Denise Richardson, who for a while was a recurring character on Two and a Half Men as a former love interest who had a baby. In real life, the two got married and had two daughters (Samantha and Lola) before Sheen became, well, Charlie. The divorce actually went better than the custody battle. It got so out of hand that Denise accused Sheen of hurting his own little girls. Despite video from both parties of the girls and Denise's nanny saying she was “concerned,” a judge threw out those claims and the two continued a battle of words that featured obscenities not usually heard in family court. Denise said he was abusive and that he was addicted to gambling; Sheen called her a “sad, jobless pig” and “evil and a bad mom.” In the end, after years of battling, the two came to an agreement that they both declared was satisfactory to both sides, although terms were not released. But that was only the tip of the iceberg for Sheen, who then went into battle for custody of the twin boys he had with Brooke Mueller.

5 Damon Dash Accused of Too Many Bad Habits By Rachel Roy

When your kids go home to their mama and they smell like they've been around a few substances, well expect to hear about it. Such is the case with rapper Future and his son Future, says mama Ciara, and she's not the only one (more on Ciara and Future later). Mama Rachel Roy, who had kids with Damon Dash, complained about the same thing, and the court ended up giving her custody of the kids, and he can only see them with monitored visits. Things really got ugly when the little girls accidentally ate Dash's laced cake and rice krispies. Oh snap! Not only do his visits have to be monitored, he is forbidden from smoking at least 24 hours before he is scheduled to see the little ones. So a judge told him just two years ago, and he was so upset, he had to be dragged out of the courtroom as he spewed obscenities at the judge. The oldest daughter, Ava, is now 17 and quite the beauty. She's already signed her first modeling contract. Tallulah turned 9 in May.

4 'Bae' Watch Pamela Anderson Fought Tommy Lee For Kids

Pamela Anderson is everybody's bae (slang for baby). But officially the Baywatch star was once married to rocker Tommy Lee, and the two had two kids. When their marriage ended up in divorce, Anderson stepped forward and wanted full custody of the kids, Brandon and Dylan. She claimed Lee was a “very angry, unstable man who presents danger to others, particularly when he is using alcohol.” She also accused him of infecting her with Hepatitis C. Lee denied it all and said he would never put his children in danger. In fact, he claimed he had been sober for a number of years. After battling in and out of court and in the court of public opinion for about two years, the former couple notified the court that they had agreed to joint custody.

3 Christie Brinkley And Peter Cook Carry On Battle For 4 Years

Model Christie Brinkley may be all smiles on the runway and in those commercials, but when it comes to her kids, she's a tigress. She waged war with ex Peter Cook for years over custody of their child and her teenage son, who Cook adopted while they were married. A lot of their court filings became public and the two often added fuel to the fire in public. At one point, Cook said her smear campaign of his character “castrated” him and that she owed him money, while Brinkley claimed he owed her money, including back child support. The marriage ended in 2008 when Cook confessed to cheating, but in 2012, the custody battle raged on. Finally mid-summer, the two came to an agreement that included co-parenting. Cook also reportedly received some financial compensation.

2 Halle Berry And Gabriel Aubry Have A Hairy Situation

She's been declared one of the most beautiful women in the world. But when it comes to men and relationships, check off the “Fail” box. From former MLB star David Justice to pop singer Eric Benet, and even model Gabriel Aubry, Halle Berry has been unable to make a marriage work. With Aubry, she had a little girl named Nahla. Berry is African American and Aubry is Anglo, so the little one has mixed features. Reports came out that one of the reasons the two were fighting over custody of Nahla when she was just 4 years old was that Aubry allegedly tried to hide her Black features, such as her dark curly hair. Halle claimed he tried to straighten her hair and dye it blond. Ouch! Once the couple finally settled custody issues, another battle went to court, with a judge ruling in Aubry's favor this time when Halle wanted to move to France and take Nahla with her. A year after Halle was literally ordered to stay in Los Angeles, her and French financier Olivier Martinez welcomed a son they named Maceo. So far so good with that situation…

1 Sherri Shepherd And Lamar Sally Wage Bizarre Battle

This is one for the record books, maybe even a Lifetime movie. Comedic actress Sherri Shepherd and ex-husband Lamar Sally waged a very public battle over a baby before it was even born, and get this: the baby was being born via surrogate. The couple was married in 2011 and began looking to have a kid using Sally's swimmers and a donor egg, but then the two got into it over who would be financially responsible for the kid. In the end, a judge ruled Shepherd was legally responsible for the child. She had claimed that Sally just wanted the baby so he could get child support, and that he knew he wanted to divorce her and that's why he allegedly created the surrogate baby situation. Wow. What made it all worse for Shepherd is that her former husband then filed for temporary custody of their son Jeffrey, who was 9 at the time. Jeffrey's dad claimed Shepherd's commitments and her legal battles with Sally were preventing her from taking proper care of the boy. But Shepherd won that battle, too.