According to TMZ , Rosie O’Donnell appeared in a New York City courtroom to begin her custody battle . When approached for a comment, Rosie remarked, “I’m not commenting on legal issues.”
Rosie’s estranged wife, Michelle Rounds, claims Rosie indulges in alcohol and marijuana so much that she is not capable of taking care of their 2-year-old adopted daughter, Dakota. Rosie says Michelle is a liar whose goal is to get money from her.
Michelle’s lawyer was in court to ask the judge to order Rosie to submit to random drug testing until the custody matter is resolved. Rosie is asking the judge to enforce their prenup and gag Michelle, because the prenup has a confidentiality clause.
Fox News reported that Rosie and Michelle were married in 2012. Rounds has applied for full custody on the grounds that O’Donnell is not a fit parent because she drinks a bottle of wine nearly every night and regularly smokes weed.
Currently, Rosie and Michelle have shared custody, but Michelle wants that changed. She wants Rosie to be subjected to random drug and alcohol testing. If the tests reveal a problem, she will then ask for an emergency order.
Sources connected to O’Donnell say Rounds is simply annoyed because she signed a prenup and is lashing out to get cash. Rounds denies this, and says she was wealthy before her marriage to Rosie.
“I will walk away from every dime of Rosie’s money if I get full custody.”
The New York Daily News reported that Rounds missed the first day in court because she was home taking care of their sick daughter, who had a temperature of 104.3 when the nanny delivered her to Rounds on Monday afternoon. Rounds’ lawyer, William London, said his client immediately took the two-year-old to her pediatrician.
Michelle says she wants full custody of the little girl because Rosie is too distracted caring for her older children from a prior marriage to Kelli Carpenter. Michelle thinks her daughter might not be completely safe with Rosie because of the drinking, the smoking, and the distractions.
O’Donnell’s lawyer, Elyse Goldweber, filed a motion last week in Manhattan Supreme Court asking the judge presiding over the divorce case to find that Rounds had violated the confidentiality clause of the prenuptial arrangement she has with O’Donnell.
“Rounds’ lawyer said he plans to file a counterclaim accusing O’Donnell of doing that herself.”
Those close to Rosie say the comedian and former host of The View has shown no signs of neglecting any of her children.
The judge will have to settle this unfortunate court battle. What do you think will happen concerning these two women and their adopted daughter?
[Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images]