Sandra Bullock Battles for Custody of Kids

By PopEater Staff Posted Nov 4th 2009 05:21PM

Actress Sandra Bullock and her husband Jesse James are facing a fierce custody battle with James' ex-wife Janine Lindemulder. Although Bullock has been helping her husband raise his 5-year-old daughter Sunny while Lindemulder was in prison for tax evasion, the mother is fighting to get her daughter back, claiming Bullock is her biggest obstacle. "What would give her the right to take away my daughter? You know, this is my daughter. I am the best mother I can be," Lindemulder said on 'Good Morning America'.

Although Lindemulder was set to regain custody after completing her prison sentence, James went before a judge to determine whether she was a fit mother. According to a court declaration, James asked that Lindemulder prove that she could provide a safe environment for their child that included keeping her away from pornographers, drug addicts, guns and firearms, felons and other unsafe environments. Bullock and James have called Lindemulder and her new husband, also a convicted felon, unfit.

Lindemulder, who has appeared in more than 100 adult films, is perhaps best known because of her association with the punk band Blink 182. She graced the cover of its 1999 album 'Enema of the State' and appeared in two of the band's videos.

In an October 13 letter to the judge presiding over the case obtained by CNN, Lindemulder wrote that she hoped to see her daughter every Saturday, and be more informed of her child's out-of-state travel and any changes in her education. "My daughter and I are both very eager to get back to a normal, healthy, loving life," she wrote.

The court granted Lindemulder visitation rights on Sundays, according to court documents, as long as she kept her daughter away from her new husband -- felon Jeremy Aikman -- and did not consume any drugs or alcohol.

James found himself back in court October 29, saying that Lindemulder violated that October 13 order to ensure Sunny had zero contact with her new spouse, according to Access Hollywood.

To prove that her maternal instincts are sound, Lindemulder is taking her case to the court of public opinion.

In a letter to the judge at Lindemulder's sentencing, Bullock raised concerns about the girl's safety, alleging that the child was left alone during the day while Lindemulder was "asleep from drug use."

"I myself have stopped working like I used to in order to be here with Jesse and the kids because we are on constant high alert," Bullock wrote, "never knowing what condition Janine will be in, and even more concerning, the condition [the girl] will be in."

Lindemulder, 40, has admitted to substance abuse in the past but said there have been long stretches of time when she hasn't used any drugs. She acknowledged making "horrific choices in the past" but says her life is back on track and that she deserves to keep custody of her daughter. "Sandy doesn't know what goes on in my house," she said. "I'd love for her to. Please come over, you know, I'll make dinner, you know, let's sit down, [as] two women."

James, via his attorney, has responded to Lindemulder's claims against Bullock, telling PEOPLE: "Sandra Bullock is not a party to this litigation ... Mr. James's sole concern is for the safety, welfare and best interests of his daughter. The proper forum to resolve this case is in the courtroom."

In her letter, Bullock also defends her motive for wanting sole custody and denies the assertion that it is rooted in her inability to have children. "I am aware that Janine has claimed many times that my desire to have [the girl], was because I could not have children of my own," Bullock said, adding, "that couldn't be farther from the truth."

"I know the term 'stepmother' carries many connotations, one of them being 'glorified babysitter,'" Bullock wrote. "My commitment and responsibility to [the girl] ... goes beyond that."

Lindemulder said, "I didn't say that. But I do believe the reason Sandra is so interested in Sunny ... she [thinks she] is saving Sunny from me, from her own mother. ...That's what I believe."

Before tying the knot with Bullock in 2004, James was married to Lindemulder for one year. He left Lindemulder when she was seven months pregnant with their daughter, her lawyer, Ron Hoevet, told the Orange County Register.

Tags: jesse james, JesseJames, sandra bullock, SandraBullock

Comments

(397)

Thursday 05 November

By alissa

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Uh, HELLO? Shes a dirty PORN STAR. Shes full of disease and shes a disgusting piece of garbage. No child should be brought up by a degenerate like that. Yes, I am judging and I'm right.

By Amy

well Jesse picked her the be a mother to his children before Sandra. I can't really see what she sees in this guy-all tattooed up-married several times-to a porn star drug abuser no less. I hope Sandra had him tested for diseases before she started having sex with him

By marcy

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didn't the title of this article mention kids?...and his exwife even says...kid's in one of her statements.......so who or where is the other child? hhhhmmmm.

By Russ

Why in the HELL would Sandra Bullock want to get mixed up with this family full of problems, in the first place? Jesse ain't no prize, even without the baggage he brings into this relationship. Sandra is a fox and could do so much better than this dud. Sandra, I'm available and I'll treat you like a princess. Dump all the gargage and come with me, we'll have a real hoot. You'll love it.

By ashleigh

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Actually, she went out of her way to be involved with him -- he was a married man! His kid is 5, and he's been married to Bullock for 5 years, so clearly, while married to Janine, Jesse & Sandra had an affair, and while they were having their affair, he got his wife pregnant, & while she was pregnant, he filed for divorce, & before the ink was dry on his divorce he married Bullock, and after that, he's newly ex-wife gave birth... Classy of Sandra Bullock, huh? Bad Karma for Jesse and Sandra for such classless behavior... Not that Janine is any prize, but gheez -- doesn't anyone hook up with SINGLE people anymore? Is someone else's husband THAT alluring?!

By Morrissa

Score one for step parents everywhere!! As a step-mom myself, it's good to see someone looking out for the child's best interest, instead of their own. That's the main point to this story. If you feel like your child (and even though there's no blood relation, it's still your child) isn't properly being cared for, you do something about it. Past behavior is an excellent indicator of future performance.

By lene

leave the child where she's at.do she know her mother, sandra and her husband ia doing a great job let well enough alome

By cody

Why would Ms. Bullock want to follow Janine?? Even though I'm a Janine porn fan, I would not want to go there ever!! And Jesse James?? I would not do him w/somebody else's stuff-yeech!!

By ebneila

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Although I love Sandra and think she is really sexy, she shouldn't stand in judgement of whether a another woman should keep her child. Even if the mother is of questionable character, she still has legal custody. What Lindemulder did on film is probably no more than Bullock did in private.

By David B

You people act like just because she's a porn star that she's trash and that makes her an unfit mother and that she is making the pornos in her house, come on people lets get real most pornos are made in studios and I doubt shes bringing her work home all. Her job doesnt deside what kind of mother she is, as for the drugs we don't know anymore then what has been said in this little article she could be in rehab and be 6months sober could be less could be more and lets face it you people who bad mouth the drugs i'm welling to bet alot of you drink alcohol and in that is like a drug which probably kills more people a year then most other drugs. Again all we know is what little is said here and other places online maybe Jesse is just mad at her and wants sole custody to say hey no you can't see her because of this and/or that thing let's face it there are alot of people out there who like to use there kid's as pawns to get back at there spouse. I think the best thing for them to do is handle it out of court joint custody or even have play dates where Janine can visit Sunny with either Jesse or Sandra there also and if she is sober let the girl spend the weekend with her mom. And with all that said just because she's a porn star doesnt make her a bad person there are alot of so called upstanding jobs out there that are alot worse.

By Watcher

Go to school, learn to spell and write a legible sentence then try here again.

By joes2cents

Once again people are making decisions on here with 10% of the information. Jesse and Sandra are nopt saying the mother can not see her child, Just that as of right now she has some things in her life that need cleaned up. Jesse left Janine because she was a drug addict and a porn star. If you are going to comment on a forum do it sober and get some facts so you dont come off as such idiots. If anyone on here thinks it is ok for janine to have full custody of her child right now while she is high and still in the porn lifestyle, then go directly to your phone and call child services on yourself. You too are unfit to have kids.

By poncee22

I love all the experts here. Especially the ones selling shoes or looking for sex from millionaires.

By Mel

I think it is great that Sandra is standing by her husband and loves him enough to go as far as being a parent to his daughter and loving her when she doesn't have to. If the biological mother was fit and always looking after the best interest of her child she would not have done anything to end up in prison. It is one thing she is a porn star and it is her means of financial support for the child as long as she is not allowing her child to go to her work or know details of her work but going to prison is a totally different thing and having an ex convict for a husband and a part of her daughters lives. She also uses drugs and admitted there are "long stretches of time" where she doesn't use? So, she is basically saying she is only fit for "long stretches of time" and not all the time. She needs to get her life straight so she is fully there for her daughter and appreciate that the father and step mother are willing to be there for the daughter 100%. How come when a step parent is willing to step in and help they are automatically out of line and need to mind their business. It would be different if Sandra was the one going to court and Jesse was against it and she was just causing trouble. Like Sandra said it is okay for a step parent to be a "glorified babysitter" but they can't care. I think Sandra is wonderful for being their for her husband and his child and he is also wonderful for fighting for his daughter and wanting to care for her fully when so many fathers are rarely there for their children if at all.

By Kay

Guess what? Roaches can reproduce too! Just because you give birth to another being, doesn't magically make you a good parent. Parenting is hard work, if you're doing it with the mindest that the child always comes first. In this case, it appears as though James and Bullock are those parents. Your "family" doesn't necessarily have to be blood-related to you. It's all about who loves you, nutures you, and has your best interests at heart.

By JustToSay

Anybody in the adult entertainment field, is not fit to parent, period.

By Bob

What kind of drugs is Bullock on to get mixed up with these people? Every one of them is a road to no where, and the kid will turn out to be the same. Bullock needs to walk away from them all, and get a new and better life.

Tuesday 26 June

By Connie

I don't know enough about Jesse to say whether or not he's a loser (either as a husband or a father) but the biological mother definitely sounds like SHE is: a porn star, a drug addict, a tax evader, and a former felon married to another former felon. YIKES! But with Sandra in this child's life, putting her and her needs first, the child doesn't HAVE to grow up to be a loser like her parent(s)!

Just because (Sandra) isn't the biological mother doesn't mean she isn't capable of loving this child and being a good parent to her. Any woman can give birth but that doesn't automatically make them a good mom! I've been a step-mother for 21 years and believe me, it's not an easy job; it's actually a very thankless one. I got nothing but grief from my husband's ex and sometimes from a step-daughter who mistakenly believed that if only I weren't in the picture, her parents would get back together again. What step-parent HASN'T heard "You can't tell me what to do, you aren't my mother/father!" AT LEAST once?!?!?!? I confess, there were times when she was growing up that I didn't think I'd make it ... that I just couldn't go on one more day ... but I stuck with it and the end results turned out so much better than I ever thought it would: my "daughter" is a highly educated, highly motivated young woman who married the sweetest guy in the world who treats her like a queen. They're both doing quite well financially and are looking to now have a child of THEIR own. I've been there for her when her own mother wasn't and now we're actually the best of friends while her relationship with her biological mother is quite strained. All the turmoil I sometimes had to endure (especially where the ex-wife was concerned) was WELL worth it!

I believe that with Sandra's help, Sunny will turn out pretty well so please, people. Stop saying that because she isn't that child's "real" mother that she can't possibly love her or want what's best for her and that she should "butt out" of that child's life. If Sandra were to abandon Sunny now, that child will have lost TWO mothers and that, in my opinion, would be doing the girl a GRAVE disservice! At 5 years of age, that child needs all the love, support, and security she can get right now and I don't see how that could possibly be a bad thing.

By Randy

Wow, what does this say about our country and it's morals? Anyone that believes a child needs to be with it's crack head PORN star convicted felon mother needs to take a step back and rethink things. What the hell kind of an environment is that for a child to be in? What has this country come to?

By bob

Of course she'll get her kid back, that's how it works in this country...what the hell happened to the women of this nation? Wonder how many abortions the tramp's had? Why don't decent women and mothers stand up and battle this horrid behavior? 1 woman can't do it....isn't there enuf decent women out there with a voice to be heard for goodness sakes?

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