The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes accused his estranged wife of kidnapping their 13-year-old daughter, but the child’s grandmother says he’s an “evil” man out for revenge.
Linda Massad, mother of Cassavetes’ ex Heather Wahlquist, claims the Hollywood director is lying about his daughter being taken from him, she told TMZ Wednesday.
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“He knew every minute where his child was,” Massad said. She confirmed that she, Wahlquist and daughter Barbarelle “Barbie” Cassavetes have been living in Oklahoma, where the child has entered a new school and made a life for herself.
Cassavetes alleged that Wahlquist took their daughter Barbie from home last month without his knowledge and disconnected her phone. He filed a police report claiming that his estranged wife is in violation of their custody agreement and has practically kidnapped their child.
Wahlquist left Cassavetes in 2012, and her mother said her daughter’s exit is the real issue.
“She’s never denied him of seeing her child. Never,” Massad said.”He wants revenge against my daughter. This is not about his child, it’s about my daughter leaving him.”
Massad said the family is “horrified” by the measures Cassavetes has taken to “bully” her, Wahlquist and Massad’s sister, Jeanette Massad Anderson, who he claims have been accomplices of the kidnapping. The grandmother claims Cassavetes may have a “hitman” after them and has sent men to jump the fence of their home and bang on the doors late at night.
TMZ reports that Massad said Cassavetes strong-armed Wahlquist into giving him some custody rights over Barbie, but the family is afraid he’s planning to take her and run.
Cassavetes maintains that he has not seen or heard from his daughter in over a month.
“I don’t know if she is okay or not,” he said on Tuesday, “and I am extremely concerned for her well being.”
He spoke out Wednesday following Massad’s testimony, writing an emotional Instagram post alongside photos of his daughter.
“I’m taking a beating on social media right now. But the facts remain. Judge mandated court orders to return Barbie to her father are in place,” Cassavetes told his followers under the pseudonym Paul Smenus.
“Heather Wahlquist has failed to appear for custody hearings. She and her relatives are now fugitives from the law. My only agenda is to get my daughter back. If they’re telling the truth, then why are they running from the cops?” he added.
Barbie is Cassavetes’ youngest of three children.
Photo credit: Instagram / @paul_smenus
