Bethenny Frankel Demands Full Custody To ‘Protect’ Daughter From Ex-Husband Jason Hoppy’s Alleged ‘Abusive Behavior’ And Their Heated Text Messages Are Revealed In Court!

The battle continues! Bethenny Frankel and her ex-husband Jason Hoppy faced off in a courtroom on Monday, March 4, as the Real Housewives of New York City star is requesting full custody of their 8-year-old daughter, Bryn.

Judge Michael Katz addressed Frankel’s motion to modify their current custody agreement, as her lawyer argued the current joint custody agreement is “no longer viable,” reports Radar Online.

“Why are we doing this? To protect the child,” Frankel lawyer Allan Mayefsky argued. “The father’s behavior before and after their marriage is extremely harmful to Bryn. His abusive behavior towards her not only damages her relationship with her mother, but to everyone else in her life.”

He continued, “We need to protect the mother. His anger at her for pursuing this divorce is evident. Frankel requested a criminal restraining order. It continues to this day up until these proceedings.”

Mayefsky then accused Hoppy of locking her late dog Cookie in a storage closet, using his emails to disintegrate her age, looks and mental health, sending her over 500 emails in a 90-day period, and more, as addressed in the past, according to Radar Online.

“All of this abusive behavior is his refusal to take responsibility,” her lawyer said. “The schedule must change.”

Mayefsky then accused Hoppy of degrading her in front of Bryn. “Mr. Hoppy will continue to be controlled by his emotions,” he continued. “His need to sign up for every field trip, and hover her when she is in contact with her mother shows he is out for competitive parenting, not in the best interest of Bryn.”

Hoppy’s lawyer Robert Wallack then gave his opening statement. “But the parties weren’t unableto make education decisions together.  They weren’t unableto make medical decisions together.  They weren’t unableto make religious decisions together.  They weren’t unableto make decisions about Bryn’s extracurricular activities together. Then in January 2017, Bethenny goes to the police with her packet of emails and has Jason arrested.”

‘And Jason’s response through his lawyer was this: we’ve had a contentious divorce that’s played out in public for nearly seven years.  I just want to move on.  Bryn is doing great and my focus is on raising her in an environment free from unnecessary litigation and invasive media attention.”

“While Bethenny seems intent on making this trial about her and Jason, and about the alleged issues between the two, this Court must instead be guided by what is best for this child,” Wallack continued. “And the evidence will show that Bryn is happy, healthy, smart and well-adjusted.”

“There’s the old idiom, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.'”

Hoppy’s legal team continued Bryn has a loving relationship with both parents and wants to “continue to spend an equal time with both parents.”

He called the trial an “unnecessary evil.”

“You Bethenny, and you Jason, are the lucky ones,” Wallack added. ” And in the heat of this litigation, I don’t think either of you fully realizes just how lucky you really are. You’re both healthy, and happy and financially secure.  And you have people who love and care about you, and who are there to support you…Focus your energy on her, instead of fighting over her in court.  Think about Bryn first.  Love her.  Support her. Abide by the agreement you made, for her.”

Then Frankel's ex-husband Hoppy took the stand. When Frankel’s lawyer asked if he was angry with Ms. Frankel after the custody agreement, he responded, “It was a contentious time.”

“I’ve taken responsibility the past three years, I just want to move on,” he said. “I take full responsibility for my actions at the time. I regret a lot of things I sent her,” reports Radar Online.

While on the stand, Mayefsky cross-examined Hoppy, asking if he recalled certain conversations.

“Bryn I love you so much. It’s so nice to have a daddy who loves you,” one conversation read.

“Do you remember saying that?” Frankel’s lawyer asked, as Hoppy responded that he didn’t recall.

“Daddy called you last night, but mommy wouldn’t let me talk to you,” another read. Hoppy said he “could’ve said that.”

Mayefsky then brought up Frankel’s ex-boyfriend Dennis Shields, who passed away in August 2018 from a drug overdose. He brought up how Hoppy sent messages to him, calling Frankel “vile.”

“All I can do is apologize,” Hoppy said. “I apologize for saying that. It was in that past. You will see I have owned up to my mistakes and I have not sent anything like that since 2017.”

Hoppy claimed he hasn’t looked at her social media because he has been “trying to move on.”

Frankel’s lawyer then brought up new text messages from Hoppy that expose a confrontation between him and Shields. Hoppy had been at the park with Bryn, when Bethenny showed up with her late boyfriend, reports Radar Online.

“I was a little shocked that Dennis was there,” he recalled. “What happens is typically Bryn comes to the playground and it was my day with her. Bethenny and Dennis showed up and I remember saying ‘Why are you here?’ to Dennis. Bryn was playing with her friends. I do remember were words of exchange. I don’t remember specifically what was said.”

As previously reported, Hoppy was arrested for stalking and harassment in 2017. “When I was arrested that scared the s**t out of me,” he admitted.

Frankel was then in the hot seat, as his lawyer Robert Wallack cross-examined. They referred to an email exchange where Hoppy accused her of being a mean girl and using their daughter for publicity. She allegedly responded, “FYI the mean girl ratings are up.”

She wrote in another alleged text, “You’re an example of a dead beat man who needs a woman to support him.”

Hoppy then said how he allows Bryn to talk to Frankel when in his care, but the RHONY star doesn’t do the same. “When I would request to talk to Bryn, 90 percent of the time I couldn’t talk to her,” he said. “10 percent I wasn’t sure if Bryn was on the other line. Or Bryn would be distracted when I was talking to her, or Bethenny would be in the picture with whoever she was with.”

“This has been going on for years,” Hoppy adds.

Hoppy’s lawyer outlines one particular incident when Frankel allowed Bryn to travel alone with her late boyfriend Dennis Shields on their way back from the Hamptons. “Bryn told me she traveled all the way to the Hamptons alone with Dennis Shields,” Hoppy explained. “That is not appropriate. Her last boyfriend had been accused of rape.”

“This is a man I don’t know. At this time Bryn was four or five-years old. And god forbid something happens. What if she has to go to the bathroom. I don’t know this man,” reports Radar Online.

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