Few Texas tennis fans would not know the names of Venus and Serena Williams. The sisters have made headlines in the sport for many years, and have changed the face of women’s tennis. Their father, Richard Williams, is credited for pushing his girls to achieve ever-higher goals as children, and helping them to hone their skills on the court. Now, Richard Williams is making headlines of his own due to a divorce and child custody case with his second wife.
Richard Williams married Lakeisha Williams in 2010, and the couple welcomed a child in 2012. In recent filings, Richard Williams is asking for custody of their child, and brings up a number of assertions against his wife. He claims that she abandoned the child when the marriage went south, and that she has exposed the child to “unreasonable and dangerous” conditions. He also alleges that his soon-to-be-ex has moved in with an individual who is facing pending felony charges and could be a danger to the child.
For her part, Lakeisha Williams claims that her husband is simply fabricating these claims to try and improve his position in the couple’s child custody dispute. She asserts that Richard Williams does not want to pay alimony or child support, and is trying to create a legal scenario in which he can attain those goals. As with so many celebrity cases, it is difficult for the public to know which side is closer to the truth of the matter.
As the case plays out, Texas readers can expect to learn more about the personal life of this famous tennis Dad. There has been a great deal of speculation on how much wealth he has obtained from Venus and Serena, and how those assets might be handled in a divorce. Many are also watching closely to see how his child custody dispute will be handled if the matter goes before a court of law.
Source: palmbeachpost.com, “Father of Venus, Serena Williams seeks divorce from second wife“, Eliot Kleinberg, June 15, 2017