Kings Artest in fight for custody of son

[NoBonus]

http://www.benmaller.com/archives/2006/september/12#113565
A lot of NBA players make a fast break from their girlfriends once the ladies get pregnant. But bad-boy hoop star Ron Artest wants his baby mama to hand over their child to him. The Sacramento King has long had a love-hate relationship with Jennifer Palma, the mother of his young son Jeron. "Ron charged that Jennifer was denying him access to his child," says the friend. Soon after, Artest went to family court in Queens, where Palma was living, and filed a motion seeking full physical custody of the boy. (He was representing himself. Apparently, he was feeling the pinch of having lost almost $5 million in salary during his suspension.) Artest also began to withhold Palma's $2,800-a-month housing support. "Jennifer was living with her family at the time," says Palma's lawyer, Sergio Villaverde. "She was saving to buy a house, which she now needs because she's moved to California. ... Artest has now hired a lawyer, Elisabeth Vreeburg, who declined to comment on the case. Asked if Artest had been hopping between the beds of his children's mothers, she said, "I've never heard that."
Posted September 12, by Ben Maller
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From VF21: Here's the NY Daily News article this was apparently based on:

Artest makes a play
for custody of his son

A lot of NBA players make a fast break from their girlfriends once the ladies get pregnant. But bad-boy hoop star Ron Artest wants his baby mama to hand over their child to him.

The Sacramento King has long had a love-hate relationship with Jennifer Palma, the mother of his young son Jeron. The couple, who dated when he was at St. John's, fell out in May 2002, after she alleged that he grabbed her around the neck. No charges were filed, but Artest, then with the Indiana Pacers, surrendered to police after Palma claimed he'd violated a protection order by leaving her a message in which he warned, "If you don't call me back, I'm going to have to hurt you."

Harassment and contempt charges were later dropped, and Artest went through anger-management counseling.

Relations between Artest and Palma improved — but maybe not as much as he wanted them to. According to a friend of Palma, Artest wanted to keep sleeping with her, even though he is married to Kimsha, the mother of his other three children.

"They were pretty intimate as of a few months ago," the friend tells us. "But then she started seeing someone else and she told Ron, 'No.'"

Artest apparently doesn't back down easily. As you surely remember, he was suspended for an NBA-record 73 games after he stormed into the stands to confront a man who threw a drink at him during a game against the Detroit Pistons.

"Ron charged that Jennifer was denying him access to his child," says the friend.

Soon after, Artest went to family court in Queens, where Palma was living, and filed a motion seeking full physical custody of the boy. (He was representing himself. Apparently, he was feeling the pinch of having lost almost $5 million in salary during his suspension.)

Artest also began to withhold Palma's $2,800-a-month housing support. "Jennifer was living with her family at the time," says Palma's lawyer, Sergio Villaverde. "She was saving to buy a house, which she now needs because she's moved to California.

"Mr. Artest has seen his child intermittently," says Villaverde. "The person best equipped to take care of the child is the mother. Considering Mr. Artest's history of psychological and anger-management issues, his request borders on frivolous."

Artest has now hired a lawyer, Elisabeth Vreeburg, who declined to comment on the case. Asked if Artest had been hopping between the beds of his children's mothers, she said, "I've never heard that."

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I hope he gets custody. I say this, of course, not as a Kings Fan, but as a dad who's been screwed over by his ex.

 

[Merdiesel]

I hope they can both grow up and share custody for the better of the child.

 

[Kings113]

I hope everything goes alright for Ron with this.

 

[moradi420]

anyone know how many kids he has

 

[Kings113]

Four.

 

[Sac.Kings]

Hope everything turns out alright.

 

[Sac.Kings]

I hope they can both grow up and share custody for the better of the child.

Agreed.

 

[SacKings384]

I think it's crap that the mother is pretty much guaranteed custody when a divorce happens, Ron obviously wants his kid for a reason. It's not exactly easy for an NBA player to take care of a child during the long season and now that he is on tour, but there must be a reason that he would want to get custody even though it wouldn't be the simple choice.

 

[BMiller52]

I don't believe Ben Maller.com

edit: Nevermind I'm a moron, they're right. There's a NY daily news link in there about it.

 

[VF21]

I added the NY Daily News article. This looks like a really ugly situation all around. I feel very sorry for the boy.

 

[acisking]

I'm not really sure why reporters need to leak this sort of stuff out to the public...it's really nobody's business.

 

[KingKong]

I get a bit jittery anytime I see "Artest" and "Fight" in the same sentence.

 

[whozit]

I added the NY Daily News article. This looks like a really ugly situation all around. I feel very sorry for the boy.

It does look like a ugly situation, but that piece sure looked like a smear piece. It may be based on fact, but one needs to look at the sources who provided the information and keep that in consideration. One side of the story doesn't necessarily tell the whole story.

Artest makes a play
for custody of his son

A lot of NBA players make a fast break from their girlfriends once the ladies get pregnant. But bad-boy hoop star Ron Artest wants his baby mama to hand over their child to him.

The Sacramento King has long had a love-hate relationship with Jennifer Palma, the mother of his young son Jeron. The couple, who dated when he was at St. John's, fell out in May 2002, after she alleged that he grabbed her around the neck. No charges were filed, but Artest, then with the Indiana Pacers, surrendered to police after Palma claimed he'd violated a protection order by leaving her a message in which he warned, "If you don't call me back, I'm going to have to hurt you."

Harassment and contempt charges were later dropped, and Artest went through anger-management counseling.

Relations between Artest and Palma improved — but maybe not as much as he wanted them to. According to a friend of Palma, Artest wanted to keep sleeping with her, even though he is married to Kimsha, the mother of his other three children.

"They were pretty intimate as of a few months ago," the friend tells us. "But then she started seeing someone else and she told Ron, 'No.'"

Artest apparently doesn't back down easily. As you surely remember, he was suspended for an NBA-record 73 games after he stormed into the stands to confront a man who threw a drink at him during a game against the Detroit Pistons.

"Ron charged that Jennifer was denying him access to his child," says the friend.

Soon after, Artest went to family court in Queens, where Palma was living, and filed a motion seeking full physical custody of the boy. (He was representing himself. Apparently, he was feeling the pinch of having lost almost $5 million in salary during his suspension.)

Artest also began to withhold Palma's $2,800-a-month housing support. "Jennifer was living with her family at the time," says Palma's lawyer, Sergio Villaverde. "She was saving to buy a house, which she now needs because she's moved to California.

"Mr. Artest has seen his child intermittently," says Villaverde. "The person best equipped to take care of the child is the mother. Considering Mr. Artest's history of psychological and anger-management issues, his request borders on frivolous."

Artest has now hired a lawyer, Elisabeth Vreeburg, who declined to comment on the case. Asked if Artest had been hopping between the beds of his children's mothers, she said, "I've never heard that."

 

[Kingzrool]

It does look like a ugly situation, but that piece sure looked like a smear piece. It may be based on fact, but one needs to look at the sources who provided the information and keep that in consideration. One side of the story doesn't necessarily tell the whole story.

A "friend" and lawyers are the best sources, what are you saying??

 

[Prophetess]

I just hope the court and everyone involved does what's best for the boy.

 

[Sac.Kings]

I just hope the court and everyone involved does what's best for the boy.

That makes 2 of us.

 

[GeorgeofSacramento]

Too little info about some very personal drama. Here's hoping things work out best for the child.

Here's some pics of Ron as daddy at the Monarchs openner.

 

[VF21]

It does look like a ugly situation, but that piece sure looked like a smear piece. It may be based on fact, but one needs to look at the sources who provided the information and keep that in consideration. One side of the story doesn't necessarily tell the whole story.

You also have to consider where it was published. The New York Daily News isn't exactly a bastion of integrity in journalism.