Rock fans around the world have been following the tumultuous child custody battle between Brody Dalle and Josh Homme, former Queens of the Stone Age frontman. The couple separated in 2019 after 14 years of marriage, and the situation turned even more dramatic in September 2021 when Dalle filed temporary domestic violence restraining orders against Homme on behalf of their two sons, alleging physical and emotional abuse.
The court findings revealed that even though Dalle was found guilty of “wilfully” failing to hand her five-year-old son over to Homme as part of an agreed custody deal, two of their older children had refused to visit him of their own accord. The Distillers singer was sentenced to community service and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
In March 2022, the court granted Homme sole legal custody of their three children for nearly two years, and Josh Homme released a rare statement confirming that Dalle was not allowed to contact the Homme family, including himself, his parents and the former couple’s three children.
The punk artist has now taken to Instagram to share her side of the story, revealing that her claims of abuse were dismissed due to “money, greed, and corruption”. Dalle argued that the “script” to take her children away had been written “years ago”, and she had been “punished, pointed at, lied about, laughed at, ridiculed, shamed, and berated” throughout the entire court battle.
The singer proceeded to describe the emotional aftermath of the legal battle, admitting that it had “shattered” her “into a thousand pieces” and that she had been “filled with so much pain and fear for so long”. Dalle encouraged others experiencing similar circumstances to “get the fuck up and fight for your life”, noting that her story is “not unique and not rare”.
Josh Homme still maintains sole custody of their three children. The statement concluded by expressing hope that the conclusion of the matter will result in a peaceful co-parenting situation. Homme has not yet responded to Dalle’s statements.
For those affected by domestic violence, Refuge’s freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline in the UK is 0808 2000 247, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline in the US is 1800 799 7233.
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