Dwight Howard, Royce Reed: Child Abuse Investigation Case Not Over, Says Royce

Royce Reed, of Basketball Wives, says that Dwight Howard is not off the hook yet for the child abuse allegations and the investigation continues. TMZ reported earlier that Dwight Howard had been cleared of wrongdoing. Sources from Dwight Howard’s camp told TMZ that they believe that this was just a ploy by Royce Reed to stop the child custody hearing from moving forward.

Children’s Services had been investigating Royce Reed’s baby daddy Dwight Howard after allegations came to light that he had whipped their small son, leaving visible bruises consistent with the use of a belt. Howard did not deny using the belt to discipline their son — and stated that he had no idea that there was anything illegal about it, citing his own upbringing as a basis for his use of the belt. The boy in question is the former couple’s 6-year-old child.

Royce Reed became enraged by the incident and reported it. Officials directed her to have the small boy evaluated. The boy was examined, and the bruises were documented. According to the attorney for Dwight Howard, Children’s Services didn’t find that child abuse had taken place, and that the bruises in question were not related to a belt spanking.

A representative for Dwight Howard made the following statement regarding the child abuse allegations.

“It’s no coincidence that these false allegations were ‘leaked’ on the heels of Dwight filing for major custody of his son. It is troubling to see a mother use her son as a pawn against his father,” and that Dwight will do “whatever is necessary to protect [the child’s] welfare and best interests.”

The child abuse allegations come on the heels of Dwight Howard’s request for full custody of their child. According to court documents, Dwight Howard, who has always wanted to be like Magic Johnson, according to NBC Sports, is asking the judge for full custody because he believes that the baby’s mother, Royce Reed, is an “unfit mother.” In 2012, the Inquisitr reported that Royce Reed demanded that Dwight Howard pay her legal fees.

Both Dwight Howard and Royce Reed have been going back and forth in an ongoing custody battle for quite some time. Last year, it was reported that Reed filed documents in court claiming that Howard had run off with their son, leaving her with no knowledge of his whereabouts. She was concerned because the boy, identified in the 2013 report as Braylon, needed his medication for a condition that has not been made public.

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