'Real Housewives of Orange County' News: Tamra and Simon's Custody Battle Rages On
Tamra Judge and ex-husband Simon Barney are waging an ongoing custody battle on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County."
Simon Barney has opened up on his side of the story on Bravo reality series, "The Real Housewives of Orange County," claiming to want to "set the record straight" in the face of lies and accusations.
The former couple are in the midst of a bitter battle for their daughter Sidney, 16, who currently lives with her father.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
In a statement he wrote, Barney recounted his ex-wife filed a 19-page contempt suit against him two months ago in a bid to reclaim Sidney despite him having permanent physical custody, as previously ruled by the Orange County Superior Court.
Believing the contempt order to contain false allegations about him, Barney related it accused him of ignoring a court order, and alienating Sidney from her own mother, both accusations of which he was cleared of by Superior Court Judge Theodore Howard, with court statements pointing out that he hasn't been involved in any manner of parental alienation.
The ruling in favor of Barney also stated that Tamra's request for Sidney's attending Overcoming Barriers with her, a program assisting families in the middle of conflict, was overruled by the court as "not serving (Sidney's) best interests."
The ruling followed Sidney's expressed wish not to attend the program, and admitting she was reluctant to foster a relationship with her own mother.
Earlier in July, Tamra said in an interview she was experiencing parental alienation. She also spoke with Radar Online in August, announcing Sidney's court therapist had said parental alienation was causing Sidney to suffer, and referring to Barney as the "gatekeeper" of that suffering. She also expressed her worry about her daughter's future under Barney's custody.
Based on Tamra's statements to the press, Barney added in his statement that Sidney is forced to have to read and hear accounts of her mother's claims on TV and online, exacerbated by Tamra's conduct on "RHOC," where she discusses anal sex, going topless, having sex with her present husband Eddie Judge, and male strippers, as well as drunken behavior and trash talking.
