LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -
Pamela Anderson is accusing her ex-husband -
Tommy Lee of
Motley Crue and
Methods of Mayhem fame - of demonstrating "a lack of parenting skills and good judgement," in a petition for full custody filed in November in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Anderson is seeking full custody of their two sons (Brandon, 5, and Dylan, 3) and a revision of the visitation and holiday schedules, and is asking the court to order Lee to participate in a six-month parenting class, a six-month anger management course, and a psychiatric evaluation. In addition, the petition �- filed Nov. 1, but kept under wraps until now -� is seeking to stop Lee from using derogatory language about Anderson and her new boyfriend, rocker Kid Rock.
"I am afraid for the emotional and physical well being of the children while in his care," states Anderson in the 15-page petition. "In the past few months� [Lee] has embarked on a campaign of threats, harassment, and a general lack of cooperation in the parenting of our children. He currently demonstrates belligerence towards co-parenting, a lack of understanding of what is appropriate for our young children, and a lack of parenting skills and good judgement."
Anderson details several incidents in recent months �- starting in April/May of this year - as her reasons for seeking full custody. Among them are:
- "The children return home [from their father's house] and call me derogatory names that they could only have heard from their father. They have repeatedly called me a 'freak.' They have also said, 'We hate daddy. He says bad things about Bob [Kid Rock, real name Bob Ritchie]."
- "Shortly after the drowning incident [a child died at a party at Lee's house in June, respondent announced to me that he wanted to take the children on a houseboat� I felt that this was inappropriate and insensitive to the children's heightened fear of water."
- "Respondent brought his dying father on the trip with the children. They watched their grandfather being brought in on a stretcher, with tubes running into him and a bag for his urine� They had nightmares for weeks after the trip about dying and having tubes running in and out of them."
- "Brandon has told me that respondent hurts him and pinches him and Dylan � Dylan has told me that he hates me for making him go to his father's."
- "Respondent has refused [to read to his children] and tells me and Brandon that homework is stupid and that reading is a stupid way to learn."
- "Respondent has refused [to take the children for swimming lessons] and told me that 'no one will teach my children to swim except me."
- "Respondent grabbed Brandon, took him outside, and dangled him in front of [his 130-pound Rottweiler]."
- "The children come home after their visits with their father and use inappropriate language and swear words." [She claims the kids have used the words "psycho," "bonehead," "freak," and "Jesus Christ" when they are frustrated.]
- Other statements Anderson makes about Lee in the petition include: he is "a very angry, unstable man who presents a danger to others, particularly when he is using alcohol"; "suffers from bi-polar disorder"; "volatile, unreasonable, and erratic"; "respondent's life revolves around alcohol"; and "respondent is a man without compassion who cares only about himself and what suits him at any given moment; a man with no natural instincts as a parent."
"These claims are old and totally without merit," says a spokesperson for Lee. "As recently as two months ago, Pam was quoted as raving what a wonderful father Tommy is." Lee's attorney, Lance Spiegel, says, "The issues and allegations raised by Pam are now before the court. They are vehemently denied and the truth will come out in due course. Mr. Lee in fact is requesting that the court increase his time with his children."
In fact, in the issue of Spin magazine with Kid Rock on the cover, Rock admits to taking the children on the water - and drinking alcohol in front of them - during a river rafting trip. "Pam and I have a lot of fun with our kids," Rock tells Spin in the December issue. "We go tubing on this river in northern Michigan. Just floating down the river, drinking
some Cristal and a Budweiser. A guy and his son go by on a canoe, and they're like 'What the Fuck?'" The courts might say the same.
Likewise, Anderson's petition claims that Lee is a bad role model for the children, though the court will likely bring her current boyfriend's antics into question as well. Rock is admittedly about babes, beer, and being a badass. And, he displays violent tendencies toward the father of Anderson's children in the article, with this comment directed at Lee: "I'll fuckin' rip your fuckin' heart out. I'll rip your fuckin' heart out and I'll eat it."
In conclusion, Anderson says, "My greatest wish is for Brandon and Dylan to have a loving, sensitive, and involved father. Based on respondent's recent attitude and behavior, his escalating anger, his lack of parenting skills and his insensitivity to the children's developmental needs, I realize that the current custody arrangement is not in the best interests of our children. At this point, I fear for the children's emotional and physical well-being when they are in the care of their father."
Lee will have a chance to respond to the accusations at a hearing on Dec. 18 in Los Angeles Superior Court; however, this is not expected to be resolved quickly.
