Venus and Serena Williams’ father is forging ahead with his divorce despite his wife claiming they have reconciled.
Richard Williams filed court documents in Palm Beach County, Fla., on Aug. 21 stating that he wished to proceed with the divorce because his marriage to Lakeisha Williams is “irretrievably broken.”
“I do not wish to reconcile,” he asserted.
The “King Richard” subject’s filing came two months after Lakeisha, 44, requested to have their divorce dismissed because she believed they had reconciled as they had been having “regular weekly sexual relations,” the court documents state.
Lakeisha also claimed in her filing, submitted June 9, that her estranged husband, 81, continued to “declare his love and commitment” to her and their family.
Additionally, Lakeisha alleged in the documents that any suggestion Richard wanted out of their marriage was the result of “undue influence from third parties” who would want to get between what she stands to inherit upon his death.
Weeks later, the court stated that it would defer ruling on Richard’s motion to compel Lakeisha into mediation, writing in court documents that the two should work out whether they intended to proceed with their dissolution.
Although the on-again, off-again couple have been spotted out together with their 11-year-old son, Dylan, it appears Richard intends only to co-parent rather than be married.
Richard first filed for divorce from Lakeisha in May 2017 after seven years of marriage. He claimed in his initial petition that she had forged his name on a deed transfer and stole his Social Security checks.
He also claimed Lakeisha abused alcohol.
“His malicious and fabricated allegations will be completely disproven in court, and they are being alleged for the sole purpose of attempting to deceive the court into not awarding child support and alimony to his child and wife,” Lakeisha’s lawyer, Sandy Becher, told Pvnew at the time.
In her counter-petition, Lakeisha claimed Richard exhibited both “hostile” and “abusive” behavior during their marriage.
Lakeisha and Richard tied the knot on Dec. 29, 2010.
