For the first time since filing legal documents to end her domestic partnership with Tammy Lynn Michaels two weeks ago, Melissa Etheridge emerged in Manhattan on Friday.
Earlier this week, an L.A. County Superior Court judge ruled Melissa did not have to pay her ex an additional $25K because the Grammy-winning singer is paying for all of Tammy's and their children's bills. Both Melissa and Tammy are fighting for custody of their twins.
Melissa Etheridge has left Tammy Lynn Michaels and the two children they have together high and dry ... this according to Tammy’s lawyer Steven Knowles. But Melissa says Tammy is delusional.
Knowles tells TMZ Tammy has a grand total of $4 to her name ... adding, "Melissa has not been treating Tammy or the children as if they are a wife and children, financially and otherwise."
Knowles says Melissa has not given Tammy or the kids a penny since the breakup … and she is now destitute.
TMZ broke the story, Melissa filed for dissolution of her domestic partnership with Tammy last week.
On Tuesday, Tammy filed her own legal docs … but she is asking for a dissolution of marriage. According to Knowles, even though Tammy and Melissa were not legally married in California, “They were married in their own eyes and in the eyes of the world … and Melissa was the first to say they were, in fact, married.”
BTW – Tammy is asking for spousal support – something she can't get if she is not “married.”
As we first told you, Melissa wants joint custody … but Tammy is asking for full legal and physical custody.
Knowles tells us Melissa can't possibly be a participant in the custody agreement because her schedule makes it impossible to be a meaningful parent.
Melissa's lawyer, Neal Hersh, tells TMZ, "Melissa is paying all of Tammy's expenses, which totals tens of thousands of dollars per month."
The first post breakup confrontation between "Bachelor" Jake Pavelka and ex-fiancee Vienna Girardi finally aired last night -- and it was explosive!
After hurling insults at each other for a half hour -- Vienna calling Jake a "fame whore," Jake saying she "disgusted" him -- the interview abruptly ended when a sobbing Vienna stormed out.
The world found out on Friday about Melissa Etheridge filing papers to end her domestic partnership with Tammy Lynn Michaels by reading it here on TMZ -- and apparently so did Tammy Lynn.
Tammy Lynn took to her blog to express her shock in the form of some kind of poetry. The post, called "blindsiding," appears to say that Tammy Lynn and Melissa agreed to part ways after Melissa's tour.
TMZ has learned ... Melissa Etheridge has just filed legal documents with the court to formally end her relationship with Tammy Lynn Michaels.
Etheridge filed a document called a Petition for Dissolution of Domestic Partnership in L.A. County Superior Court.
Etheridge and Michaels were registered as domestic partners in California. They had a commitment ceremony back in 2003. There were reports they tried to legally marry in 2008 -- during the time when same-sex marriages were permitted in CA -- but they missed the window.
In the docs, Etheridge cites "irreconcilable differences."
Etheridge is asking for joint custody of the couple's two children. Their twins were born in 2006, after Tammy was artificially inseminated by an anonymous donor.
Etheridge's lawyer, Judy Bogen, is also asking the judge to reject any possible bid by Tammy to get financial support.
Newly-single former "Bachelor" star Vienna Girardiwas pretty tight-lipped last night about her break-up with Jake Pavelka, but there was one question we asked that elicited an emphatic "NO!"
More shots fired in the nuclear breakup between Vienna Girardi and Jake Pavelka ... and this time Vienna is hitting where it really hurts ... the "Bachelor's" penchant for publicity.
TMZ obtained footage from inside the salon where Vienna was right after the couple announced the split -- and in the clip, she bitches to her friends, "You know ... Jake’s going to be doing sooo much publicity this week, it’s gonna be sick."
But moments after she rips Jake ... Vienna proceeds to brag about all the attention that's sure to come her way.
Jake was cool, calm and collected as he made his way to the gate -- telling our photog he's "Hangin' in there" in the wake of all the madness surrounding his breakup with Vienna.
As to where Jake's headed -- dude told us, "It's a secret" ... but sources at the airport tell us he's headed back home to Texas ... far, far away from Vienna.
Jake Pavelka andVienna Girardi got together last night to secretly tape an interview that ended abruptly when Jake exploded in anger -- and a source tells TMZ this isn't the first time.
Jake and Vienna were talking about their breakup during the taping when Jake lost his temper -- and reportedly cocked his arm and made a fist in Vienna's direction.
A source close to Vienna claims Jake "has a really bad hidden temper. He snaps all the time, it was just the first time he did it in front of people."
Jake and Vienna had to be separated on the set and the interview was pretty much over before it began.
Jake's rep hasn't responded to calls yet. No word if there will be a second take on the interview.
UPDATE: A production insider tells us Vienna was interrupting Jake constantly during the taping ... "Chris Harrison had to tell her over and over again to let him talk."
The insider also says "Vienna was in such a rage, if there was anyone to fear it was her."
Just hours after Vienna Girardi moved her ass out of Jake Pavelka's home -- she was already partying with the man she was rumored to be hooking up with on the side ... Gregory Michael. Vienna and the "Greek" actor were dancing with each other -- hand-in-hand -- at the Reality Cares CHOC Children's Hospital Prom on Saturday night.
As we previously reported, sources close to the production of "The Bachelor" tell us Jake eventually pulled the plug on the relationship with Vienna because he thought she was "stepping out" with Gregory on the side.
But Vienna claims she never cheated on Jake -- and her stepmom claims the split was all Jake's fault ... because he's a fame-whoring fraud.
Vienna Girardi's stepmom tells us Vienna gave the ring back to Jake when she moved out of his place this weekend -- but TMZ has learned Jake won't get to keep the $50,000 diamond for himself.
Vienna's stepmom tells us when Vienna moved out of Jake's place this weekend -- she left a goodbye note ... and the 3 carat Neil Lane diamond ring that he used to pop the question on "The Bachelor."
But sources close to the show tell us Jake is required to give the ring back to the production company. The deal is -- they only get to keep the ring if they get married.
Playing the percentages ... the show usually wins.
