Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry, the father of her daughter, appear to have ended their child custody dispute. Celebrity gossip website RadarOnline reports that Aubry filed a motion yesterday to withdraw his fathers’ rights lawsuit against Berry and dismiss his request for child support.
Berry and Aubry, a Canadian model and restaurateur, have a two-year-old daughter together. The pair had traded veiled accusations of poor parenting, denied visitation, and intentional parental alienation during the recent child custody dispute. Berry canceled a movie project after Aubry filed a paternity, child custody and child support lawsuit on December 30 and the dispute became publicly acrimonious.
Now the former couple appears to have refocused their energies on promoting the best interest of their child.
“I think both sides realized how out of hand things had gotten recently,” a source close to the situation told RadarOnline. “They both love their daughter and want to make sure her welfare comes first.
“Gabriel and Halle have spoken to each other and have committed to try and make things work, without the courts. Gabe’s decision to drop his case is his way of showing Halle he’s prepared to take a leap of faith and trust her once again.”
Obtaining legal protection for his father’s rights may still be the smart thing for Aubry to do
Aubry appears to have withdrawn his child custody and support lawsuit officially a court hearing today. While that may have served to end a dispute that could have had negative consequences for Berry and Aubry’s daughter, failing to set up legal protections may not serve Aubry well in the long term.
Legal acknowledgement of paternity, which is called legitimation in Georgia, is the only way for unmarried fathers to obtain enforceable rights to shared custody and visitation. If you are an unmarried father, you should discuss your situation with an attorney.
Source: RadarOnline.com, “EXCLUSIVE: Halle Berry’s Baby Daddy Files Legal Papers To End Custody Battle,” February 16, 2011
