Venus and Serena Williams’ stepmother accuses their father of ‘starving her and their baby son to the point that she sold the family motorhome to buy food’ – as Will Smith portrays the tennis stars’ dad in upcoming biopic.
Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard Williams has been accused by his estranged wife of starving their family to the point that she was forced to sell their motorhome behind his back in order to buy food.
Lakeisha Williams also claims that they’d regularly drive around the poorest areas of Los Angeles and Florida as he enjoyed looking at ‘black women’.
The new claims are the latest revelations to come out of the lawsuit the former tennis coach, 79, has filed against spouse Lakeisha, who is nearly half his age at 43.
The pair have been battling it out at Palm Beach County Court, Florida, where he accuses her of forging his signature so that she could remortgage the family home for $300,000 and start a trucking business.
Venus and Serena Williams’ stepmother Lakeisha Williams, claims their father Richard, starved her and their young son, forcing her to sell the family’s motorhome in order to buy food
This comes as A-lister Will Smith has been spotted on set portraying the tennis stars’ father in the biopic King Richard.
Previously, the court heard that Williams was suffering from dementia and irreparable brain damage, according to his own doctor’s statement.
New documents now reveal excerpts from Lakeisha’s testimony, in which she admits to forging Williams’ signature so that she could sell his 1999 Bluebird Wanderlodge Motor Coach, worth $45,000, to buy food for herself and their son Dylan, now nine.
These are the documents where Lakeisha forged Williams’ signature so that she could sell his 1999 Bluebird Wanderlodge Motor Coach, worth $45,000, to buy food for herself and their son Dylan, now seven
‘Mainly, I was broke by my husband [who] did not help me. It was my son and I not getting any money, so I had to sell it so I can eat and my son can eat… we didn’t have anything,’ she said.
This statement was ridiculed by Williams’ legal team, who said that it is unbelievable the bus would have been sold ‘because the marital relationship had deteriorated to the point where Richard Williams was not even giving her any money for her and her baby to buy food, and she had to do so to survive.’
These are the documents where Lakeisha forged Williams signature
Lakeisha used acquaintance Brandy Clark to sell the motorhome and, then again, when she transferred the family home into her name.
To sell the Bluebird, power of attorney for the vehicle was signed over to Clark and Lakeisha admits to forging her husband’s signature on the form.
After the sale of the motorhome, she traveled to a different county to change the property into her name ‘because that is where she had accomplices who had worked with her in the past and could help her take the property without Mr Williams’ consent,’ argue Williams’ legal team.
These are the documents where Lakeisha forged Williams signatures
But Lakeisha argues that she went to another county – nearly 50 miles away from their home – because Williams really enjoys to go on ‘long drives’ to poor areas, where black women live.
In her testimony, she reveals: ‘Mr Williams loved – he loves poor neighborhoods. He did likes to drive. He likes to take me like downtown Los Angeles.
He always liked to take me to neighborhoods where, you know, there was black women, because he likes women.’
New documents obtained now reveal excerpts from Lakeisha’s testimony, in which she admits to forging Williams’ signature
Williams is trying to speed the legal process up – it’s been going through the courts since April 2017 and is due to go to trial in the summer – by asking the judge for a summary judgement due to his failing health.
Will Smith has been spotted multiple times filming with his on-screen daughters, Saniyya Sidney, 15, and Demi Singleton, 14, who are portraying Venus and Serena Williams in Los Angeles.
Throughout the court battle, Williams has claimed Lakeisha (pictured together in 2008) forged his signature to gain possession of his house
Smith, spotted in short shorts and high sock, is producing the Reinaldo Marcus Green-directed film, set for a November release, and will star as the father who coached the legendary players to super stardom.
