Ex-NBA star Dwight Howard demanded his ex Tiffany Render turn over private emails and texts ahead of their trial over custody of their 13-year-old daughter, In Touch can exclusively report.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Dwight, 38, issued a subpoena to Tiffany demanding she produce emails and texts she exchanged with their daughter Layla’s teachers and doctor from January to today.
Dwight also asked for any communications Tiffany exchanged with Layla’s coaches, tutor or youth group leaders. On top of that, Dwight told Tiffany to turn over her tax return for 2023, all paystubs for the year, any employment documents, and evidence to support her other claims in the case. The trial is scheduled to start this month.
As In Touch first reported, Dwight filed a petition seeking full custody of Layla and for his child support payments to Tiffany to be terminated in November 2023.
Dwight and Tiffany initially reached a deal over support and custody in January 2023. Tiffany was awarded primary physical custody with Dwight having secondary custody. In his petition, Dwight said there had been “several changes in circumstances” that warranted a change in custody and support.
In court documents, Dwight accused his ex of moving from Georgia to Florida with Layla without telling him.
He said she had stopped allowing him to have an input regarding their daughter’s education, healthcare and general well-being. Dwight also took issue with TikTok videos his daughter had posted.
He said the videos included the minor flipping off the camera as well as wearing “scantily clad” and “age inappropriate” clothing with “vulgar, sexual songs” played in the background.
He also accused Tiffany of allowing their daughter to film a reality show without his knowledge. “[Tiffany] has demonstrated an inability to maintain a healthy home environment in which to raise the minor child,” Dwight’s lawyer said in the petition. “[Tiffany] has compromised the safety and well-being of the minor child.”
Dwight claimed his ex was “incapable of properly caring” for Layla. He asked that he be awarded primary custody and his obligation to pay $3,000 per month in child support end.
Tiffany scoffed at the petition. She denied moving to Florida without telling the ex-NBA star. Tiffany said that both parents became aware of their Layla’s TikTok videos and “both parents addressed appropriateness of social media content with the minor child.”
In her response, Tiffany also denied Dwight’s claims she allowed Layla to film a reality show. She asked that his petition be denied.
In January, the judge issued a temporary order and awarded Dwight primary custody. Tiffany was granted parenting time at “all periods of times on which mother and father can agree.”
The judge awarded the exes joint legal custody but noted Dwight would have all “final decision-making authority, on a temporary basis.” Dwight’s child support obligations were also terminated. The court docket shows the case as “open.”
The drama comes as Dwight was kicked off Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday, November 12. Dwight and his partner Daniella Karagach were the eighth team eliminated this season.
“I learned so much, not just from dancing but how to be a partner,” Dwight said after being cut from the competition show. “How to listen, really, to your partner, understand what your partner is saying and try to go out and emulate all those different things and really have your partner’s back. All those things are key.”
