The Bachelor franchise creator Mike Fleiss‘ wife is seeking sole custody of their son after accusing him of domestic abuse. Laura Fleiss filed documents attempting to get full physical and legal custody of their son Ben, 4, claiming she has been his “primary caretaker since birth.”
“I am the parent who gets up with Ben every single time in the middle of the night; Mike sleeps in a different bedroom, or in the cottage, so that he can rest and not be worked at night,” she claimed in court documents obtained by Us Weekly. “I had to arrange childcare for anytime I needed to leave the house, even if Mike was going to be home… Mike usually wakes up and sees Ben in the morning for breakfast, then goes to his cottage to work, does his daily activities… then he will join us at the end of the day in the evening around dinner time.”
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Laura first filed documents accusing the television producer of abuse, just a few days after he filed for divorce after five years of marriage.
The Kauai Police Department later confirmed to the outlet that Mike is “under police investigation” after his estranged pregnant wife’s claims. In the first set of documents, Laura claimed Mike “demanded” she have an abortion so that they could “just go back to the way” they were as a family of three.
“While Mike has frequently been verbally abusive towards me during our marriage, in recent weeks, he has become enraged, due to the fact I am pregnant with our second child,” the Miss America 2012 winner claimed. “Mike told me many times that he did not want us to have a second child.”
Laura further claimed Mike has threatened to hurt her several times, including telling her he was going to “shove [her] down the stairs” in July 6.
“I have been hiding in a hotel for the past several days with Ben,” the former pageant queen said. “And want to be able to return home without fear for myself, my son and my unborn child.”
In the documents she added: “I am afraid of Mike. I am afraid he will continue to act erratically towards me, verbally and physically, and in the presence of Ben. I have been hiding in a hotel for the past several days with Ben, and want to be able to return home without fear for myself, my son and my unborn child.”
Mike filed for divorce on July 10. After Laura was granted a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him, Mike responded to Laura’s accusations claiming she was the one who attacked him. He added he believed Laura was on birth control because he “did not want to have another child.”
While ABC did not comment on the controversy, Warner Bros — who distributes the Bachelor franchise” said they were looking into the allegations.
