Prior to Randall Emmett‘s rumored issues with fiancée Lala Kent, the director filed to lower his custody payments to ex-wife Ambyr Childers due to “great financial hardship.”
In legal documents obtained by Us Weekly, Emmett, 50, filed to terminate an aspect of his custody agreement in March that required him to keep a bank account open for Childers, 33, to use for their children’s expenses. The producer, who shares daughters London, 11, and Rylee, 8, with the You alum, had to keep a monthly minimum balance of $50,000 in the account.
According to the court docs, “if forced to continue making these deposits, Randall will fall deeper and deeper into debt and will be forced to file for bankruptcy.” Emmett claimed that his ex was “abusing” the court orders by using the money for purchases that had nothing to do with their children. He stated that his monthly support payments of $5,250 to the actress and $325,000 being spent on his daughter’s expenses should be enough.
The filmmaker explained that with the coronavirus pandemic affecting film and television production, he wasn’t able to bring in a sizable income in 2020.
“I only produced one movie in 2020, as opposed to several as in normal years, therefore, my income has been drastically reduced and I am having Iiquidity issues. The state of film production right now due to COVID protocols is tenuous at best,” he stated in the documents. “Productions can be shut down at any time. Further, I am not sure additional projects that I have Iined up will proceed. My income is far too uncertain during this pandemic.”
In addition to the setback with new projects, the Midnight in the Switchgrass director alleged that he had “significant debts,” which included $500,000 owed to the IRS and loans to a production company.
Emmett noted that he has since entered a payment plan, with $15,000 per month being paid to the IRS and $10,000 per month to American Express. As a result, the Vanderpump Rules star couldn’t keep up the expenses account because it would cause “great financial hardship” for the Florida native and would allegedly force him “to file for bankruptcy.”
In response to Emmett’s filing, Childers stated that her ex-husband “has remained completely silent as to his position on what guideline child support should be.” The paperwork also mentioned that Emmett had yet to “produce the long overdue accounting of expenses” that he is struggling to pay. The case was settled three months later.
Emmett and Childers were previously married from 2009 until 2017. Since then, the Irishman producer went public with his relationship with Kent, 31. The duo got engaged in 2018 and had plans to tie the knot in April 2020 but canceled due to the pandemic.
Kent and Emmett recently made headlines when the reality star erased all traces of her fiancé on social media earlier this month. The performer, who shares daughter Ocean, 7 months, with Emmett, later posted a video of two men walking through the Beverly Hills Hotel with suitcases. The clip included Beyoncé‘s song “Sorry” playing in the background, while her daughter was being pushed in a stroller, leading some to believe that Kent had moved out.
Since rumors initially started to swirl, Kent has been spotted without her engagement ring several times.
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
