North Carolina fans of rapper Nas and singer Kelis may have followed their child custody disputes. The two reached a joint custody agreement in March regarding their 8-year-old son. Although its details were kept private, reportedly, it included a detailed calendar of when the child would spend holidays and other times with each parent.
However, Nas says that when he went to pick up his son so that he could have him during Passover, which began on March 30, Kelis yelled at him and would not let him take the boy. Kelis claims that the child wanted to stay with her. Nas also says that he is not allowed to pick up the child at school and that Kelis interferes with his access to the child.
Nas is seeking $22,000 in attorney fees from Kelis for each incident in which she violates the custody agreement. The couple’s lawyers have also reportedly been sniping at one another.
Issues around child custody agreements may be one of the most emotionally taxing aspects of a divorce or separation, but it may be best if parents can avoid letting their resentment toward one another spill over into these negotiations. A court may begin to look negatively upon a parent who cannot comply with a child custody agreement, and it is also usually not in the best interests of the child if the parents are openly in conflict with one another. Parents might be able to include a plan in the parenting agreement to help reduce conflict such as choosing a neutral location for pickups and drop offs or only communicating on the topic of their children and only using text or email when so doing.
Source: XXL Mag, “Nas claims Kelis violated custody agreement by keeping their son during Passover“, Nick Mojica, April 6, 2018