Custody Battles

Fantasia Barrino says her baby daddy who is suing for custody of their teenage daughter is nothing but a deadbeat sperm donor.

Brandel Shouse claims in new legal docs he's a better parent than Barrino and he should be the primary parent for 13-year-old Zion. So he's gunning for physical and legal custody.

The former "American Idol" winner is incredulous ... claiming Shouse has NEVER had a relationship with or cared for Zion. She also says he's never given her a dime of financial support.

So Fantasia has decided if he wants to fight, then fight it is. Now she wants him to ante up child support. She says he's able bodied, employed and capable of earning substantial amounts of cash.

French Montana is a lousy dad who abandoned his wife and child for months at a time so he could gallivant around the world with his girlfriends ... so says his ex-wife.

Friends of Nadeen Kharpouch tell TMZ ... French once went 7 months without seeing his 4-year-old son ... and spent a grand total of 4 days with him this year ... so that he could hang with famous women, including Trina and Khloe Kardashian.

She says it was especially galling that French never bothered to take his kid to kindergarten -- Khloe was way more important to him.

And in the money department, we're told Nadeen is fuming because French was draining the marital assets by showering Khole with Jeeps and jewelry.

French Montana was banging Khloe Kardashian and Trina while he was still married, technically ... so imagine how the dude's gonna go off now that his divorce is final.

Nadeen Kharbouch filed to divorce French more than 2 years ago in NJ -- citing irreconcilable differences -- and a judge just put a fork in it this week ... according to court docs obtained by TMZ.

Sources close to French tell us the divorce dragged on so long because they were battling over custody of their 4-year-old son. We're told they finally hammered out a plan that gives French the ability to see his son whenever he wants -- and the exes are now on good terms.

Our source also says reports FM shelled out $2 mil to Nadeen are over blown.

Wiz Khalifa drew the battle lines in his divorce with Amber Rose ... challenging her move to get full custody of their one-year-old son ... TMZ has learned.

Wiz has filed his response to Amber's divorce petition ... he's asking for JOINT CUSTODY of Sebastian. Fact is ... in California it's advantage Wiz because there's a presumption joint custody is in the best interests of a child ... and when a parent asks for sole custody it's often a sign of vengeance.

Wiz also is agreeable on the prenup ... like Amber, he wants it enforced. TMZ broke the story ... Amber is the one who demanded a prenup and she's getting a lump sum payment north of $1 million.

According to the docs, filed by disso queen Laura Wasser, Wiz is also willing to pay Amber spousal support, because we now know the prenup provides that. Sources connected with Wiz and Amber tell us the agreement gives her upwards of $5K a month.

Lamar Sally insists he's NOT trying to hawk naked pics of his soon-to-be-ex Sherri Shepherd ... but tells TMZ if he did have nude pics of her, they might not be getting divorced.

Earlier this week a report came out that Sally had compromising pics of Shepherd and was willing to share them -- for a price -- but Sally tells TMZ that's complete BS.

In fact, he says ... "If Sherri would have been more sexual with me and sent me things like nude pictures, we'd still be married."

Sources close to the ex-couple tell us Sally hasn't heard a word from Shepherd since their surrogate gave birth last month to the baby boy they planned to raise together ... back when they were happily married. We're told the baby is living with Lamar in L.A. and Sherri's never met him.

Kelly Rutherford plans on doing what you'd hope any mother would do when faced with losing her kids ... she's going to keep fighting.

As TMZ first reported, Rutherford's two children were ordered to live with their father, Daniel Giersh, who happens to live in France. The "Gossip Girl" star has been fighting to have that order overturned, but lost her latest attempt to do so earlier this month.

Kelly Rutherford burst into tears and freaked out after a judge shut down her last ditch effort to keep her kids in the U.S.

Rutherford claimed another judge had illegally awarded custody of her 2 kids to her ex-husband, Daniel Giersch, who lives in France. Rutherford claims the judge effectively deported the kids.

So she was in federal court Wednesday ... asking a judge to step in, but the federal judge said he didn't have the power. Outside the courtroom, Rutherford broke down, saying "My own country won't save my children and I pay taxes!"

The judge gave Rutherford a ray of hope, saying although he didn't have jurisdiction over custody, he would set up a conference call Friday with him, Rutherford and Giersch's lawyer ... to figure out a way for Giersch -- who has immigration issues -- to come back to the U.S. to live.

The clock is ticking ... if the judge's Hail Mary doesn't work ... the kids go to France August 19.

Kelly Rutherford claims her children are being illegally deported by a renegade judge who has ordered them to live with their father in France ... and if things don't change she'll break the law and keep her kids right here in the U.S. of A.

The former star of "Gossip Girl" was in a bitter custody battle with ex-hubby Daniel Giersch. He now lives in France and an L.A. County Superior Court judge ruled he had a right to primary custody of the children -- ages 5 and 7.

In new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Rutherford claims sending her kids out of the country creates an immigration issue -- and that's beyond the scope of a state judge's power.

Rutherford wants a federal judge to invalidate the state order and give her custody so the children can remain in the U.S.

Sophie B. Hawkins is about to become a single mom ... her longtime partner has filed to end their domestic partnership and is giving up custody of their son.

Hawkins -- whose song "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" was a hit in 1992 -- has been in a partnership with her manager, Gigi Gaston since Sept. 2008. According to court docs ... they've been separated for the last year and a half.

In her docs, Gigi says she wants Hawkins to have physical custody of their 5-year-old son, Dashiell ... she's asking for visitation.

Gaston's not looking for a payday ... she didn't ask for spousal support.

Sherri Shepherd claims estranged hubby pilfered around $20K from their joint bank account before he split ... and the money could end up as a key piece of evidence in their custody war.

Sources close to the couple tell us Sherri was in the dark until she looked at a recent bank statement and saw the money was gone.

The fired "View" host is disavowing the contract she and Lamar Sally signed with a surrogate on grounds Lamar defrauded Sherri -- that the only reason he wanted the baby was so he could divorce her and collect child support. We're told Sherri will use the $20K withdrawal as proof Lamar was purely money-motivated.

Sources tell us Lamar used the money for baby expenses ... including trips he took to Pennsylvania to be with the surrogate. He also claims Sherri knew full well he took the money out of their joint account.

Ex-MGM mogul Kirk Kerkorian just scored a knockout punch against his ex-wife Lisa Bonder ... a judge just shut down her request to up monthly child support from $100K to $565K.

It's a spectacular defeat for Bonder, who claimed their 16-year-old daughter Kira needed $491,000 a month just for equestrian expenses. Kira is an accomplished rider who has Olympic aspirations, but apparently the judge found Bonder's request ridiculous.

The judge felt Bonder could make do with $100,000 a month ... which by the way is the largest child support award on record in the U.S.

The judge scoffed at Bonder's request in his written ruling -- obtained by TMZ -- saying, "There is a difference between the 'needs' of a child and the 'wants' of a child."

Here's what's really amazing. Kerkorian and Bonder were married a grand total of 28 days back in 1999 and the child isn't even his ... when he agreed to pay support he didn't know Kira wasn't his biological child.

Lamar Sally got a slew of baby gifts from just about everyone in his life except one person ... the woman who had signed on to be the mother -- Sherri Shepherd.

The baby was due Thursday. It's being carried by a surrogate and Lamar and Sherri were once looking forward to raising the kid together ... until he filed for separation and she filed for divorce. Now she wants a clean break from Lamar and the kid.

Lamar's friends have given him gift cards, baby clothes and lots of stuff for the nursery. Lamar has dropped $5K on a changing station, crib, baby swing and rocking chair. But Sherri has not so much as given him a diaper on which the kid can crap.

Sherri believes Lamar defrauded her into signing on with the surrogate, claiming he always planned on leaving her and this was just a transparent ploy to get child support.

Rapper Future and his baby mama have reached a new custody deal ... which includes a schedule for Martin Luther King Day.

Future must now pay $2,800 a month in child support for his 11-year-old son -- that's up $1,200 from what he was previously paying. But it won't really cramp his style ... because according to court docs he earns $50K every month.

The new deal -- the result of Future's increased earnings -- lays out a plan for who gets the kid on big holidays, including Thanksgiving, XMAS, the child's birthday and MLK Day.

And there's this ... baby mama Jessica Smith agreed to move to a nicer neighborhood near Atlanta so the child could attend a better school.

Sherri Shepherd will maintain primary physical custody of her 9-year-old son, despite her ex-husband's claims she's a horrible parent to the child.

Sherri emerged victorious over Jeffrey Tarpley after yesterday's hearing in L.A. County Court -- he was seeking full custody of their son, but was denied by the judge.

TMZ broke the story ... Jeffrey made some horrendous claims about Sherri neglecting Jeffrey Jr. -- including blaming her for the boy not being able to read or tie his shoe laces.

The judge clearly disagreed. In court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- she wrote, "there has not been a material change in circumstances to grant the request."

After court Sherri asked fans to "keep the prayers coming" ... clearly referring to her ongoing battle with estranged husband Lamar Sally.

Keep the prayers coming... Still got more battles - please judge me by my character and not from the tabloids who are having a slow news day

Sherri Shepherd is scoffing at Lamar Sally calling her a hypocrite in their custody war ... telling us anyone who knows her, knows Lamar is full of BS.

Shepherd was judged today but not by Lamar ... by a real judge in a different custody fight she's having with ex-husband Jeff Tarpley over their nine-year-old son. He now wants full custody.

Sherri Shepherd will be sued if she doesn't embrace the child she's having this month via surrogate ... so promises her very angry and determined estranged husband.

We've learned Lamar Sally is already drafting legal docs to prevent Sherri from backing out of the surrogate contract she signed while they were still a couple.

As TMZ first reported ... Sherri claims Lamar defrauded her into signing the contract ... claiming he knew he wanted out of the marriage but wanted to hook her into paying child support. She wants the contract voided on grounds of fraud ... and wash her hands of any parental obligations.

Lamar is calling BS and says he'll fight to put Sherri's John Hancock on the birth certificate ... and if that takes a judge's order, so be it.

We're told Lamar may weave what he believes is Sherri's hypocrisy into the contract, saying on the one hand she professes to be a good Christian and on the other abandoning an innocent child.