Custody Battles

Uma Thurman's relationship with her ex-fiance is so toxic they shouldn't be in the same room together with their daughter ... according to a court-ordered psychologist.

Uma and Arpad Busson were in court Friday for their custody war over 4-year-old Luna, and Dr. Sara Weiss testified about the exes, saying Luna genuinely enjoys her time with Arpad ... but definitely shouldn't go longer than 7 days away from Uma.

She said Luna shows signs of separation anxiety -- and Uma even had to come pick her up once, due to a particularly bad meltdown while she was with Arpad.

But the doc added family bonding shouldn't be part of the girl's routine. As she put it, "I don't think these two people should be in the same room with Luna."

Robin Thicke and ex-wife Paula Patton have been embroiled in a nasty custody fight over their 6-year-old son. It's escalated to a Child Services case over alleged physical abuse, and Robin just scored a legal victory.

Sources familiar with the case tell TMZ ... Julian told school officials at the beginning of the year his dad had spanked him ... more than once. The school reported the incident to the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services on January 3rd, and the Dept. opened an investigation.

Paula then began denying Robin access to their son, and filed an emergency order asking the family law judge to restrict Robin's contact with Julian to monitored daytime visits only.

According to legal docs Paula told Robin, "Julian is scared of you."

Paula says in her declaration, the day before Julian told the school, he told her that Robin spanked him "really hard." He demonstrated and hit Paula on the back so hard she said, "ow." Julian then said it was actually worse than that.

A school official also submitted a declaration saying Julian told her Robin frequently "punches" him very hard.

Robin says in legal docs, "On a very rare occasion and only as a last resort, I will use light spanking, but it is consistent with the law -- open hand on the butt. This is the type of discipline to which Paula and I agreed during our marriage."

There's also a declaration from a nanny who claims she has seen Robin smoke marijuana on several occasions in front of Julian. And there's this: Paula says at Julian's kindergarten graduation last June, Robin showed up drunk at 8:30 AM and was "hooting and hollering and making inappropriate jokes" in the Catholic church.

Robin claims this is all about his decision to block Paula from attending his dad Alan's funeral last month. He says in docs, "Paula did not have a positive relationship with my father and often made negative comments to me about my father. As such, she was not welcome at his funeral."

Sources connected to the case tell us there was a hearing Thursday morning and the judge denied Paula's request to limit Robin's joint custody and also a request for drug testing.

As for DCFS, we're told social workers have interviewed Julian twice and also interviewed Paula. Robin is being interviewed Thursday afternoon.

The DCFS case is ongoing.

Preggo Jenelle Evans and her current baby daddy, David Eason, headed to a custody hearing Wednesday in North Carolina over her 2-year-old son with ex-fiance, Nathan Griffith.

Not at all awkward.

The "Teen Mom 2" star is expecting a girl at the end of the month with Eason. Hopefully her drink was decaf.

Brad Pitt has fired back at Angelina Jolie ... essentially claiming she's a bad parent for putting their family drama on blast for public consumption.

Brad just filed legal docs asking for an order to seal their file. Angelina had previously filed unsealed documents alleging Brad had parenting issues that made it too risky for him to have unmonitored visits with their 6 kids. She also alleged Brad had a lot to hide about his conduct.

In Brad's new legal docs, he says Angelina knows better ... they are famous people and the kids are damaged when she airs their dirty laundry in public. He suggests Angelina going public has humiliated and embarrassed their kids and could even endanger them.

And there's this ... in the docs Brad's lawyer says, "[Angelina] apparently has no self-regulating mechanism to preclude sensitive information from being placed in the public record, or she has other motives."

Brad asked for an emergency order sealing the case but was shut down, so now he's filed a formal motion to seal the case ... something the judge indicated he would grant.

Morena Baccarin says her ex-husband's fear of their kid catching Zika in Brazil is a bogus claim made simply to spite her ... and she just won a court battle over the trip.

In a hearing Thursday, the court found Morena's ex, Austin Chick, waited too long to object to their 3-year-old son flying south of the border to visit his dying great grandmother.

His lawyers were demanding the "Gotham" star get their custody agreement authorized in Brazil to make sure he'd get custody if something happened to Morena during the trip. Morena's team, led by lawyer Samantha Spector, says they tried to resolve that issue, but Austin's camp went radio silent for weeks.

The judge ruled there was no reason to block Morena's trip. She told the court she'd hire top-notch security in Brazil and hunker down in her hotel for extra safety.

Lena Headey got a HUGE pay raise on "Game of Thrones" and is now making more than $1 million PER EPISODE ... so claims her ex-husband, who's got plans for that extra dough.

Peter Loughran just filed new docs asking the court to make Lena pay his legal fees in their nasty custody battle -- to the tune of $40k. He says it's only fair, since he's jobless and Lena's sleeping on a bed of 'GoT' cash.

It's interesting ... there were reports Lena was set to make upwards of $500k per episode for season 7, but Peter obviously thinks she's making more than double that already.

DeAndre Jordan was a very happy man on Friday after being awarded joint custody of his 1-year-old son ... the latest in a custody war with his baby mama.

Angelina Jolie went underground while her custody battle with Brad Pitt was raging on -- and she finally surfaced once the storm passed ... for now.

Angelina was seen leaving a Los Angeles area hotel on Thursday with her kids. Our sources say she'd checked in there before the emergency hearing Wednesday morning, when Brad was trying to get their custody case sealed.

As we reported, the judge denied Brad. The exes are still operating under their temporary custody deal -- she has primary physical custody of all 6 kids, while he gets weekly visitation.

Angelina Jolie is imploring Brad Pitt to help find a new professional to help them and their children deal with the "trauma" of what happened on their private jet 3 months ago.

Angelina's attorney fired off an email to Brad's legal team on December 1, proposing they "participate in joint sessions with a trauma specialist so that they may learn how to best support and interact with their children."

The request makes it clear -- Jolie thinks the kids are so bad off because of what they witnessed on the plane, and the therapy process they've been going through isn't getting the job done. As we've reported, both sides agreed in September to attend family therapy sessions as part of their temporary custody agreement.

Another sign the situation is still dire -- in docs, Brad's attorney suggested their 2 eldest boys, Maddox and Pax, might not want to visit with their dad.

One source tells us the boys walked out of one session in the past, and have refused to attend others.

It's important to note ... DCFS closed out its investigation after concluding Brad did nothing that warranted official action. DCFS could have referred the case to dependency court if it felt the kids were in danger, or recommended criminal prosecution ... it did neither.

It's unclear if he's responded to Angelina's request.

Brad Pitt thinks he's getting the short end of the stick when it comes to his visitation time with his kids, and has a plan to change that -- but unfortunately for him, their child therapists don't agree.

Brad and Angelina Jolie's lawyers filed a series of emails for Wednesday morning's hearing. In one of them his attorney, Lance Spiegel, says despite Brad complying with every aspect of the child therapy process ... "the therapy team has ignored or disregarded issues that [Brad] has raised." He's not specific about the issues.

It's clear from the docs Brad is frustrated by the limited amount of time he gets with his 6 kids ... 1 visit per week. The issue is, Brad signed a temporary custody deal months ago in which he agreed -- along with Angelina -- they would both let the therapists call the shots.

The emails from Brad's attorney suggest he's trying to circumvent that deal. In fact, Spiegel says "Regardless of [the therapists'] views, there is no reason for Brad not to request court orders" for more access to the kids.

In late November, Brad's lawyer asked if Angelina would agree to the following schedule in December:

- one session with the twins (Knox and Vivienne)
- one session with the middle kids (Zahara and Shiloh)
- one session with the twins AND the middle kids
- one session with the older kids (Maddox and Pax)

The sessions would be monitored and 30-60 minutes long. Spiegel adds, if Maddox and Pax don't want to see him ... Brad wants an extra session with the other 4 kids.

Angelina's team turned down the offer. Her attorney, Laura Wasser, fired off a very firm response saying Brad's team is ignoring what therapists feel is best for the kids. She implores them to give the therapists a chance to "tell us how the kids are feeling."

As we reported, Brad was shut down in his effort to keep the case sealed ... but it's now clear from these emails he's determined to spend more time with his brood, ASAP.

Brad Pitt's effort to seal his and Angelina Jolie's custody battle from the public was rejected by the judge Wednesday morning.

We broke the story ... Brad requested an emergency hearing to address locking down all the proceedings related to their war over their 6 kids. Lawyers for both sides marched into court, but the judge quickly denied Brad's request.

His side has been fuming since Jolie filed their temporary custody arrangement in court last week -- a move Brad believes only served to air their dirty laundry in public and damage the children.

We're told Angelina felt it necessary to file the docs in order to have the court enforce the terms -- specifically the part about letting a therapist make the call on when Brad can start having unmonitored visits.

In docs, Angelina's lawyer says Brad's effort to seal the whole case isn't so much about protecting the children -- as his side has claimed -- but more about keeping his own actions hidden ... because it was "[Brad's] conduct at the center of the DCFS and FBI investigations."

Sources connected to the case tell us Brad has been trying to "push past the process." As one source put it, he was acting like a "celebrity who is used to getting whatever he wants" ... and after the DCFS investigation cleared him of criminal wrongdoing, what he wanted was to have solo time with the children.

Our Brad sources deny he's made any effort to change the temporary custody deal.

We're told Angelina also wants the whole case to remain private -- as long as Brad sticks to the custody arrangement they both signed off on months ago.

Brad Pitt is going to court to keep his custody war with Angelina Jolie private, and sources connected with Brad say his motivation is to thwart her from further damaging their children by airing their dirty laundry in public.

Sources connected to the case tell TMZ ... Brad filed docs Tuesday in family court, requesting an emergency hearing. We're told he intends to ask the judge to seal all documents and proceedings related to his and Angelina's ongoing battle for custody of their 6 kids.

Several sources say Angelina filed the documents because she feared Brad was angling to change their temporary agreement so that he could have unmonitored visits with the children. We're told Angelina is relying on the family therapist, who says it's too early for Brad to have unmonitored visits -- but she does want him to have solo visits ... once the therapist signs off.

Sources connected with Brad, however, are calling BS ... saying the only document filed in the case is the one Angelina blasted out to the world ... exposing their 6 children to needless pain. Our Brad sources say there was no reason for Angelina to file a private agreement, and make it public other than to trash Brad and make the children collateral damage.

We're told he has made NO move to change the private agreement that was always meant to remain private -- and he feels by gratuitously making it public the way Jolie did ... it's evidence she's a bad parent.

Brad will get his shot within a few hours to argue the case should remain private. We're told the emergency hearing is slated for Wednesday morning.

Angelina Jolie has an endgame in her claims Brad Pitt abused one or more of their children -- she wants to move to London with the kids and score a top position in the United Nations ... sources connected with the couple tell TMZ.

Several well-placed sources say Brad and Angelina have not gotten along for more than a year, and she's been looking for an opportunity to end the marriage and bolt for her dream job ... with all 6 children in tow. We're told she knew that would be nearly impossible unless Brad's right to joint custody was in jeopardy.

As we reported ... Angelina told L.A. County Dept of Child and Family Services officials Brad brutalized Maddox on a private jet and engaged in other conduct that endangered the children. We know Brad strongly denied intentionally striking Maddox or engaging in any abuse, and DCFS clearly saw it his way ... closing out the investigation without taking any action.

Our sources say Angelina's move to involve DCFS was orchestrated by 2 women she's been relying on for advice for more than a year. One is a member of England's House of Lords, and the other also holds a U.K. government position. We're told they've been in Angelina's ear, convincing her she could become Secretary General of the U.N. if she plays her cards right.

Angelina, who has been paying both women handsomely for their consulting services, is all in and taking their cue that a move to London would help get her closer to the U.N. gig.

The rub, of course, is in order to take her kids out of the country ... she'd have to prove some sort of parental unfitness on Brad's part. So far she's struck out.

Jolie's rep denies there's a move planned and says Angelina is focused on the health and well being of her children. The rep adds, Angelina wants to continue therapy with the kids and Brad.

Our sources are clear and insist Europe and the U.N. post is the ultimate goal.

The custody war is now in family court -- she wants sole physical custody and he wants joint. We're told Angelina has a slim to none chance of taking the kids 6,000 miles away from Brad.

Brad Pitt's child custody arrangement with Angelina Jolie is in the hands of one man ... according to docs filed by Jolie.

Right now, the exes and their 6 kids are operating under a temporary custody deal agreed upon by both sides. As we've reported ... she has primary custody and Brad gets monitored visits, but the docs Angelina filed spell out the details.

According to the docs ... when and how Brad sees the children is determined by a psychologist who specializes in child custody issues. The deal says, the "frequency and conditions of the therapeutic visitation shall be determined by Ian Russ, Ph.D." Brad and Angie also must participate in group therapy sessions with the kids.

The terms of this deal must stay in place until there's a court order, or both parents agree to change it.

Additionally, the docs say Brad will submit to random drug and alcohol tests at least 4 times per month.

Pitt and Jolie made this arrangement in October, while Brad was still under investigation by the DCFS, but as we've reported ... the agency cleared him of any wrongdoing a month ago.

Jolie's filing essentially memorializes the temporary deal with the court. The judge signed it on Friday.

Lena Headey has pulled out the big guns in her custody war -- passing a letter to the judge from the "Game of Thrones" Executive Producer demanding her presence on the set.

Lena and ex-hubby Peter Loughran are in a 'GoT' war over custody of 6-year-old Wylie. Lena is begging the judge to modify the current custody order and allow her to keep the boy in the UK, where she films the show. Peter is dead set against it, claiming it would deny him access to his son.

The current order allows Lena to take the boy to the UK only when she films, and Peter says she should be done shooting and wants Wylie back. So Lena has now brought in the ultimate doctor's note from EP Bernadette Caulfield, who says she must stay in the UK for "possible addition scenes and pick-ups" through February 2017.

It's interesting ... the letter does not say her services are definitely necessary but, as you know, winter is coming, so she has to be on call.

Lena wants to move to the UK permanently, because her family is there and she thinks the schools are better. She also says she's paying Peter $10k a month in child support and he hasn't even seen the child in the last 3 months.

Only thing missing between 'Real Housewives of New York' star Jules Wainstein and estranged hubby Michael was some actual slimy mud during a vicious back-and-forth slinging in court.

The estranged couple appeared in court Wednesday in NYC for a spousal and child support hearing that quickly went south ... with their lawyers going at each other's throats with allegations of money troubles, drug use and being unfit parents.

Michael painted Jules as someone living way beyond her means ... whose spending quadrupled when she joined 'RHONY.' Michael pointed to a $40k AmEx bill in 2015 and $2k spent on Uber the first 15 days of October.

He also brought up Jules' history of drug use documented on TV ... to which the judge snapped back by saying, "I don't decide my cases based on what's on TV."

Jules admitted to making $60k during her 1 year stint on 'RHONY' while she was married. She blamed Michael for a pile of unpaid bills and not having filed proper tax returns in nearly a decade.

She said Michael doesn't deserve more time with their kids. She claims every other weekend is more than enough, since all he does is pawn the kids off on their nanny.

The judge made no decisions, saying they need to resolve their money issues first. Same goes for custody ... though the judge added there could well be a trial.