Venus & Serena Williams’ Father Richard Allegedly Taking Care Of 11-Year-Old Son Full Time w/o Help From His Estranged Wife
Venus & Serena Williams’ Father Richard Allegedly Taking Care Of 11-Year-Old Son Full Time w/o Help From His Estranged Wife
The eldest son of famed tennis parent Richard Williams recently gave an update about his father’s failing marriage.
Venus and Serena Williams‘ brother Chavoita Williams reportedly shared that his dad is taking care of his 11-year-old half-brother on his own, while his estranged wife Lakeisha Graham-Williams spends all his money.
According to RadarOnline, Chavoita Williams spoke about the matter after his stepmother’s request to dismiss divorce documents filed by Richard Williams was recently granted by default. The divorce filing was thrown out after Richard Williams, 81, failed to appear for a deposition and a court date, which Chavoita said happened because his father is “terrified” of legal proceedings due to speech impairments brought on by several strokes.
The judge reportedly agreed to hear the case again once Richard and his estranged wife Lakeisha Graham-Williams, 45, “figure out the next steps” to refiling. Chavoita suggested the state of his father’s marriage will likely prompt him to seek a dissolution of the union once again. He claimed his dad is currently the sole provider and caregiver “seven days a week” for his 11-year-old brother Junior, whom Richard and Lakeisha share.
Chavoita additionally accused his stepmother of taking advantage of his father by frivolously spending his money, stating:
“Every time I turn around, she’s doing the dumbest stuff…She comes to the house; she uses Junior as a pawn and then he’ll end up giving her his card or something.”
He added:
“It’s his fault to a degree because he allows her to get the card…I tell him ‘Okay, if she says you can’t see Junior then you just can’t see Junior for a while, and we will go through the courts and deal with it’…He stays with my dad seven days a week. My dad takes him to school, picks him up, my dad would tell you this himself.”
Richard married Lakeisha in 2010, several years after he divorced his ex-wife Oracene, with whom he shares famous daughters Venus and Serena. Richard officially filed to divorce Lakeisha in 2017, however, after she admitted to forging his signature to transfer their million-dollar home to her name.
Chavoita went on to suggest that he may look into suing his stepmother for exploiting his father, though it’s unclear whether or not Richard himself plans to take legal action.
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