What do you get when you mix a celebrity wedding, a dysfunctional family and a high-profile legal battle? You get the perfect storm that is the Stewart-Pattinson family saga!
The actor and his actress wife Kristen Stewart have been locked in a bitter war over custody of their newborn daughter. They will head to court next week to argue over who should get to raise their child. The couple divorced in 2016 and Stewart took full custody of their daughter, Luna. Since then, Pattinson has had limited visitation rights and child support payments have been hotly contested. Now, finally, a judge will decide the fate of their daughter. Here, we take a look at the key facts and figures regarding this high-profile case.
Child’s Name
The couple’s daughter was born on October 19, 2019. At the time of her birth, she was named Luna Estelle Stewart-Pattinson. The couple also have a daughter, Ella, from a previous relationship. She will be eight in December.
The couple’s pet-names for their daughter are “Nuna” and “Lottie.” The actor also used to call his daughter “Princess.”
Key Players
There are several parties involved in this custody tussle. The most significant are Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. As mentioned, the former took full custody of their daughter after their 2016 divorce. She did this on the basis that she is the “natural mother” and does not want to give her daughter up for adoption. Since then, Pattinson has had limited visitation rights and child support payments have been hotly contested. Finally, a judge will decide the fate of their daughter. Here, we will briefly discuss the key players.
Robert Pattinson
The actor has been very vocal about his opposition to having custody of his daughter. In a court filing last month, Pattinson, 50, accused Stewart, 32, of “child endangerment.” He claimed that she had “physically restrained and isolated” their daughter. He also alleged that she had “prevented him from having contact” with his daughter. In a related court filing, he denied the allegations of domestic violence made by his wife. “The court should not have allowed [the] petitioner to plead guilty to this unfounded allegation just to get joint custody,” he said. In a last-ditch effort to convince the court to let him see his daughter, Pattinson’s lawyer submitted a letter stating that his client is “ready, willing and able to accept full responsibility” for their child’s care. Still, the court denied his request for visitation. In a statement to ET, his lawyer said: “We’re not giving up. We’re going to keep fighting for Dad to be able to see his daughter whenever he wants.”
Kristen Stewart
Stewart’s lawyer will argue that it is in their daughter’s best interest for her to live with her mother. In one of their legal filings, they stated that it would be “detrimental for [their daughter] to spend any substantial period of time” with her father. They also claim that he is “not suitable” to be a parent. It is worth noting that the actress’ team had no qualms about accusing Pattinson of domestic violence. In the same court filing, they wrote that Stewart “suffered physical trauma and mental anguish as a result of [Pattinson] assaulting her.” In other court filings, Stewart’s lawyer argued that Pattinson is “not capable” of caring for their daughter and that she is the “better parent.”
Luna Estelle Pattinson
The couple’s newborn daughter is known by her middle name Estelle because her parents wanted to honor William Shakespeare’s son, Edmund, who was nicknamed “Bard”. The actress is also a descendant of Theodore Roosevelt. After the birth of their daughter, the couple got into an argument that led to Pattinson throwing a lamp at Stewart. The couple was not happy about being at the maternity hospital for an extended period of time and even less so about being separated following their divorce. Now that their parental rights have been officially disputed, the fate of this little one will be decided in court.