Michael Strahan is seeking custody of his twin daughters. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the Good Morning America host is looking for primary custody of 15-year-old fraternal twins Isabella and Sophia. He currently has visitation rights with the girls but is seeking primary custody from ex-wife, Jean Muggli Strahan.
Michael's call for primary custody comes with accusations that Jean is physically and emotionally abusing the girls. Jean and Michael were married from 1999 to 2006. The divorce between the two was far from amicable. Michael and Jean have been in and out of court regarding their children in the years since. The girls currently live in North Carolina with Jean. A change in custody would have them moving to New York with Michael.
In the court documents, Michael claims to have proof of the abuse. He is clear that to protect his daughters' privacy, he'd like to admit evidence in sealed documents.
Michael Strahan is leveling very serious accusations against his ex-wife. Michael and Jean Muggli Strahan were married from 1999 to 2006. The two share fraternal twin daughters, Isabella and Sophia, who are 15 years old.
In recent court documents obtained by TMZ, Michael claims that he's seeking primary custody of the girls. They currently live with their mother in North Carolina. Specifically, the documents allege that Jean has engaged in a "pattern of abusive conduct towards the children for years."
Michael also alleges that he has proof of this abuse. He tells the court he wishes to provide details in sealed documents to protect their privacy. He does enumerate a few ways that he feels Jean is failing the twins as a parent.
Michael explains that the girls have court-ordered therapy sessions that are not being attended. He also adds that the girls are missing out on volleyball matches and equestrian events that they should be participating in. This is allegedly because Jean will not take them.
Michael currently has visitation rights with the girls but wants them to move to New York with him. He also wants Jean to be held in civil and criminal contempt. The proposed situation would leave Jean with the amount of visitation that Michael currently has.
Michael and Jean have been in and out of court over child support following an ugly divorce. Sources close to Jean say she's been pursuing Michael for back child support. Sources close to Michael have claimed that is not the case and that Jean is looking to increase the amount she receives for the twins.
Michael also has two adult children, Tanita and Michael Jr., whom he shares with ex-wife Wanda Hutchins. In 2016, he talked with People magazine about his love for all his kids and theirs for each other.
"My kids give me strength," he said. "I love being with the kids. To me it’s all about family, now more than anything."
Michael boasted about how close his children all are despite the fact that the oldest two grew up separately from the twins. He said they are "very close, and I’m proud of that."
"You worry how the kids will mix and blend, but brothers and sisters are brothers and sisters regardless of different mothers."
Michael has acknowledged that Isabella and Sophia have a wonderful life. "The twins live a crazy life," he said proudly. Clearly they benefit from having a father who is a celebrity. "One time they flew out to D.C. and interviewed the first lady for GMA," he said.
"Then the next day their mom was sending me a video of them riding horses and splashing around in a muddy cornfield," he said. Michael was always determined to keep Isabella and Sophia out of his issues with Jean.
"It wasn’t like, ‘Okay, we split, now I’m gonna write a check and send it to your mom every month, and Daddy will see you down the road,’" he said.
He hoped that the girls would benefit from him and Jean being as friendly as possible where they're concerned.
"I’m not operating like that," he said. "Getting divorced is probably one of the toughest things I’ve ever gone through, but I learned a lot about myself."
"When you’re a single father with 4-month-old kids, and you gotta be with them all the time, it taught me that there’s nothing to be afraid of," he explained.
"I can do it. I look back on that as one of the most fulfilling times of my life. And I look at my kids now and it makes me happy because I know it paid off in my relationship with them."
Jean has previously leveled abuse claims against Michael, which he denies. "It’s unfortunate that some marriages don’t always work out for both parties, but that’s a painful reality of the times we live in," he told the New York Post at the time.
"I would never physically or psychologically harm any of my loved ones, especially my wife. That’s simply not the man I am. I will continue to respect Jean’s privacy and not contribute to a public spectacle of an extremely private matter."
Representatives for both Michael and Jean have refused to comment on the court filings. The girls have also been absent from social media since earlier this month. It remains to be seen how this situation will play out, but hopefully whatever comes next is in the best interests of Isabella and Sophia.
