Richard Williams Files for Divorce (June 2017)
Lakeisha Williams, Venus and Serena Williams’ stepmother, has reportedly filed bankruptcy in an effort to keep the residence where her estranged husband, “King” Richard Williams, taught the tennis greats.
Richard, 80, paid $355,000 for the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, residence with Venus and Serena’s mother, ex-wife Oracene Price, several years before his separation from Lakeisha, 43, in 2017.
The house was scheduled to be auctioned off in February 2021, but she filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy a day before.
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite the fact that the couple is in the middle of a divorce, Lakeisha asked a judge to stop the proceedings earlier this week, according to the Daily Mail. She contended that their marriage is not irretrievably broken, even asserting that their sex life is still alive and kicking despite the couple’s split.
Richard and Lakeisha married in 2009, and they have a 9-year-old son named Dylan. She is said to have stayed in the “now-crumbling” house after the couple split up.
“It would never be in that condition if Richard was still there. He adored that place,” a neighbor told the outlet. “Richard is a wonderful man. I wouldn’t hear a word said against him. We were neighbors for many years. Serena and Venus were just kids to me, not superstars.”
Embed from Getty ImagesLakeisha must generate more relevant documentation by April 8 in order to proceed with her filing, and she will be called into question by Miami mortgage lender David Simon.
Simon’s attorneys have already filed paperwork claiming, “This is a hotly contested case. Secured creditor has a judgment in foreclosure exceeding half a million dollars on a residential home that the debtor owns,” the documents state.
Richard’s name has been in the news a lot recently because he is the subject of the 2021 movie King Richard, starring Will Smith, who shocked Oscar viewers by hitting presenter Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards.
Embed from Getty ImagesSmith was named Best Actor for his performance in the two-hour film, which depicted Richard gearing up his daughters for excellence as he prepared them to become the tennis megastars they are presently.
