Naveen Andrews of Lost gets full custody of son after courtroom drama

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Naveen Andrews and his current girlfriend, Barbara Hershey. His son is with an ex

Naveen Andrews of Lost had a dramatic courtroom battle yesterday with the mother of his three year old son, Naveen Joshua. Prior to the hearing both parents shared custody, but now Naveen has been awarded sole legal and physical custody of the child until another hearing next month. Apparently the boy’s mother, Elena Eustache, made wild allegations against Naveen and his girlfriend, actress Barbara Hershey, that hurt her case. She also left Los Angeles county with the child against court order. The poor mom was sitting on the courtroom steps crying after the hearing while Naveen left holding their son.

The “Lost” star and Elena Eustache, the mother of three-year-old Naveen Joshua, were in L.A. County Superior Court, where a judge changed the custody order after Elena allegedly took the boy out of L.A. County without permission. Naveen also claimed Elena kept the boy from him.

The parents had joint custody, but today, with the help of disso-queen Laura Wasser, the order was modified so Naveen now has sole physical and legal custody pending a full hearing next month.

We’re told Elena has alleged Naveen’s girlfriend, Barbara Hershey, practices witchcraft and that Naveen and Hershey have poisoned the boy. In response, Wasser asked the judge to order Elena to undergo psychiatric testing.

Elena brought the boy to court. After the ruling, the bailiff took the boy from Elena and gave him to Naveen, who left the courthouse with Hershey.

Under the new order, the boy is allowed to travel to Hawaii where Naveen films “Lost”. He can be accompanied either by Naveen or Hershey.

After the hearing, Elena told TMZ, “I can’t believe celebrities and their money. They always get what they want.”

The pic above [on TMZ] shows the boy, Naveen, Laura Wasser and Barbara Hershey leaving court.

[From TMZ]

It surely helped Andrews’ case that he had such a high profile attorney and maybe the mother was right that it wouldn’t have went down that way if it was a more typical custody case. My heart kind of aches for the mom as I can’t imagine having my son taken away without the prospect of seeing him for a month. What’s more is that Andrews can even take the child to Hawaii with him while he’s working. We don’t know many details in this case, though, and just because the mom is crying hysterically and upset it doesn’t mean she deserves to continue to have custody or that she did the right thing with her son. Hopefully the judge was impartial and looked at the facts without being overly influenced by attorney Wasser or Naveen’s celebrity status.

Naveen Andrews and Barbara Hershey are shown on 9/10/07. Credit: WENN

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35 Responses to “Naveen Andrews of Lost gets full custody of son after courtroom drama”

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  1. boomchakaboom says:

    There’s no question our legal system works for whomever can afford the best legal expertise, hands down.

  2. Anonymous says:

    A friend of mine was told by her lawyer that whoever is willing to spend the most money will eventually end up with custody. Nice, huh?

  3. cori says:

    is it really about the money? i think his ex’s crazy allegations worked against her and that’s why she doesn’t have custody at this point.

  4. boomchakaboom says:

    Nope, it’s the money.

  5. cori says:

    you must be an expert huh…some people it is about the money…but when people act like they’re crazy, then it does have something to do with it…if the mom isn’t all there in the head then why would she get custody?

    i mean, at least check out what she’s saying to determin if she has valid points or not…

  6. boomchakaboom says:

    Yep, I’m an expert. It’s the money.

  7. o says:

    there’s something creepy about this.
    it sounds like it’s the money.

  8. ronnie says:

    C’mon…she did it to herself. It has nothing to do with money. She took her child out of county without permission & alleged that Barbara was POISONING the boy and that she practiced WITCHCRAFT. I’m pretty sure she does need a psychiatric evaluation and shouldn’t be her son’s primary caregiver.

  9. Susan says:

    It is the money.

    I went through this with my ex-husband. He was an alcoholic, had NOTHING to do with our 3 year old daughter. Well, when we divorced his rich parents spent upwards of $15,000 in order to force me to do shared custody. Money talks – period. Especially in the court system.

    Yes, it is most definitley the money.

  10. elisha says:

    I <3 Sayid!!!! His IRL wife never seemed like a good match to me. I’m happy he gets the son and jealous the boy gets to spend time on scene at my favorite show on my favorite island.

  11. boomchakaboom says:

    @Susan: $$$ talks louder than truth in court, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, being in the right has little meaning in a courtroom. It’s unsettling to know that’s the way it is, but it’s extremely naieve to think the truth will carry the day.

    I had forgotten all about Barbara Hershey. She doesn’t look the same.

  12. breederina says:

    The custody arrangement default in California is 50/50. Then the rest is factored in, most damaging of which is showing your crazy hand and disregarding court orders re: visitation orders and travel restrictions. It’s interesting that the mothers comments focus on celebrity and money and not her child. Sitting on the court steps and sobbing uncontrollably is more red flag than sympathy getter as well ntm if her son saw her, how does that affect him ? OT but Barbara Hershey looks amazing.

  13. audrey says:

    omg, that is barbara hershey?
    i thought that was the crackhead momma..
    wow, she was so beautiful in BEACHES…
    why, why, why do these women do this to their faces??! wrinkles would be much preferable than pulled eyes and fat injected cheeks.

  14. Baholicious says:

    Leaving the country with a child against a court order is what did her in. It’s called kidnapping.

    Despite money, courts are more inclined to grant custody to the mother. She has to mess up pretty bad for it not to be granted.

  15. Celebitchy says:

    She left the county not the country. I will make sure that says Los Angeles county. I did write county but I can see how people would read it as country.

  16. Amy says:

    How can any of you make judgments based on so little evidence? It’s not like he’s Brad Pitt, so I doubt the judge was starstruck. Who knows what the hell goes on behind closed doors.

  17. boomchakaboom says:

    Money’s not confined to celebrities. I’ve seen well paid lawyers make hash out of decent parents who couldn’t afford the best counsel and who therefore lost the battle. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to paint a normal, decent person in a damned ugly light. I wouldn’t be so quick to judge the mother as bad just because she lost, is what I’m trying to say.

  18. manda says:

    Still, in custody cases I don’t think money has THAT much of an effect, unless it’s just that a parent stops fighting because they can’t afford it. But if the facts point to a certain conclusion, the court will go there, regardless of who’s richer. Look at Britney!!

  19. Ter says:

    I’ve had the misfortune of helping someone with their legal defense. From what I’ve seen in court proceedings(Two separate proceedings, but I was privy to viewing more than ten other cases, each time, prior to the one I was helping with though they were not related to custody battles) money IS the factor. Whatever side can lawyer up the best is usually how it goes down.

  20. prissa says:

    Sorry, but Barbara has a serious case of meth face (I’m NOT saying she’s on meth, just that her face looks haggard, gaunt and pock marked – like the faces seen on meth users). Being that thin is not looking good on her. Yes, audrey, she WAS beautiful in Beaches…

  21. Baholicious says:

    Mea culpa CB, I’ll pay closer attention next time. It’s just that the stories one reads about non-custodial parents taking off with kids, and often times it is out of the country…but sorry about that.

  22. morgs says:

    Remember when he was Kip in The English Patient?

  23. LondonParis says:

    Money and fame absolutely hold ultimate sway in court. However, I think Britney showed us that no matter how much money and fame is involved, if a court sees that a parent is mentally unstable and possibly a harm to the child, the more stable parent will get them. Which is to say, money and fame don’t always get the day… (though Brit was paying for Federline’s fees too… hmm.)

    If this woman is claiming that Andrews is POISONING their child, who’s to say that SHE wouldn’t ACTUALLY poison him in an attempt to prove this accusation? That is the danger with mentally unstable people- there is NO WAY to determine of guess what they will do next, because it doesn’t follow the path of logic and reason.
    Money may have had something to do with this, but I don’t see anything wrong with the verdict.

  24. DC says:

    It’s against child custody laws in most states to remove the child from the county of residence without the permission of a co-parent. She forfeited her rights as a parent when she did that.

    Yes, in many places money talks, but there’s absolutely no way to know if it played a hand in this case. The fact that she removed the child from the county alone justifies the decision legally.

  25. Lila says:

    wow: that impresses me that he’s with an older woman, even if she is unrecognizable.

  26. Ally says:

    It seems glaringly unfair that she loses custody cause she took the kid out of the county, but now he gets to take the child to Hawaii? Yup, money talks.

    As someone pointed out on Defamer, Andrews has been with Hershey for more than 3 years; so this child is the product of cheating. Classy.

    On a random note, I remember reading somewhere that Hershey changed her name to Barbara Seagull in the seventies… some hippie, Jonathan the, Chekhov thing I guess. So I don’t know that accusations of some hippified witchcraft (I have nothing but respect for hippies, mind you) call for psychiatric evaluation of the birth mother.

  27. aleach says:

    barbra looks like a HOT mess.

  28. FamilyFriend says:

    It’s a shame that so many morons here like “ronnie” condemn Elena without knowing her. She’s an extremely intelligent and thoughtful person. She speaks 19 languages and was kind enough to tutor me in one of them. I’ve spent time with both her and little Naveen and was always VERY impressed at how good a mother Elena is. In fact, I’ve commented to mutual friends that I consider Elena the perfect mother. Yes, Naveen was cheating on Barbara with Elena and yes Barbara is resentful and vindictive. She’s a danger to little Naveen and it’s a shame the judge didn’t consider that. And, btw, yes Elena took her son out of the county, just across the county line to a nearby lake! How can that warrant taking him away!

  29. Kristen says:

    Didn’t he cheat on Hershey with this woman who is the mother of his child?

  30. WOW, WOW, WOW People who posted so many negative comments have either (A) never been in a custody dispute or (B) are Pro Father’s Rights. Attorney’s can make anything look very bad for a mother who is trying to obtain custody of her child. Elena, is a mother.. period!! and if she was crying outside of the court, that doesn’t mean she does that in front of her son. What is wrong with everyone assuming that the father is some great man who did nothing wrong. I call B.S. on that, because if he was so great then he would have never tried to gain full custody of his child only Joint. There are so many resources out there to help families who are divorced and sharing custody to help deal with the visitation and separation of the children. He didn’t take any action for his child to feel more comfortable during this hard time and he is a Cheater, which means he doesn’t have any family values and if he cheated on his wife, what makes you think he is not cheating his son from having a comfortable relationship with his mother? Just because people separate it doesn’t mean they get to control a child, who will one day grow up and become an adult himself. What example is he showing his son? He is saying if you want something right or wrong then just make sure you have enough money, know the right people, and never let the other person who you cared about win??? WRONG on his part. So what did the court teach us with this case? It taught us that no matter where the child is placed the child will be motherless or fatherless, not what’s best for the child or to protect the child from feeling abandoned by his mother. Money, Power, and popularity will always play a huge factor in determining who gets custody of children. The sad part is that Elena was probably informed of these Witchcraft things by her ex. Who knows how she got her information and she probably thought by telling the court she would protect her son. It may sound like I am siding with her, but here’s the deal they both have a responsibility to their child. I’m sure that the lawyer he hired to take his case is very smart and knows what buttons to press in order for the custody case to be a positive outcome for the clients they represent. PLEASE STOP JUDGING MOTHER’S. IT’S NOT FAIR TO ANY MOTHER TO HEAR CRUEL AND FALSE THINGS ABOUT HER. You people are all wrong and I am here to say BEWARE, If you plan on having children in the near future make sure it’s with someone you want to spend the rest of your life with or else you can be a victim of this kind of COURT GAME. Mother’s are loosing custody of there children for even sneezing he was a bad husband and father. The Father’s Right’s Movement needs to be stopped in there tracks as they are flooding the courts with money and lies about mother’s and the lawyer’s that are involved in getting the baby stealing in action are all sneaky, want to win and know what to do and say to get father’s custody. Mother’s who are divorcing with children Please Read PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME OR PAS. It is all about gaining custody for Father’s. The Family Courts needs to Stop allowing this nonsense to continue in their court rooms. Mother’s protect yourselves, the lawyer’s are out their to steal your kids and so is CPS OR DHS, They are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get paid…THIS MADDNESS NEEDS TO STOP!!!

  31. Alan Brook says:

    Naveen Andrews steals the child from Elena Eustache and now he is selling her baby to her! The poor mother has no money to see her son, because she has to pay $ 300 each visit of 3 hours with her son. He wants to sell her child for $ almost 4000 for 36 hours with her own son,Andrews hired together with Hershey Devil Laura Wasser with her scene crime partner judge buddy Elizabeth Feffer to steal the baby from Elena and order her silence for 15 years. The baby is away from his mother for 5 month already raised by lunatic Barbara Hershey , who change his name from Naveen to Joshua, like she has a history in changing names. The child and the mother is broken hearted . Please someone help!!!! This is terrible.

  32. Marie Zyski says:

    Lets be clear, the child is in a very loving home and florishing because he is with the parent who does not use the child as a source of income or a shortcut to fame.

    The child is with the parent who did NOT sell their pathetic pack of lies the the National Enquire posing pregnant with this mournful look, claiming that she was told that he had left Barbara Hershey and also claiming that she was on the pill.

    Yet Eustache became pregnant one month after the Golden Globes that Naveen was nominated for an award for, and was with Barbara, which Eustache had to see, there are pictures of her posing with the Lost cast at the Golden Globes. She knew EXACTLY what she was doing, purposely bringing an innocent child into this world for the sole purpose of obligating a celebrity to further her own career.

    She had the baby(I am talking 18- 19 mos old) listed as an “actor” in an independent movie she is working on as a PA and bit part. She even set the baby up with his own IMDB page until she was caught and it was removed, along with the pictures of him and the part listing in the movie and the pictures of her and the baby on her own sad little IMDB.

    Obviously she resents that a celebrity stawker expert was hired to be the court ordered monitor. Eustache was also assured in court that she would not have to pay any more than the standard $100 to $150 per hour for the monitor.

    And if she has a problem with Naveen working in Hawaii, then maybe she should have targeted a more convenient celebrity, because that is where they had there “hook-ups” according to her own words in the National Enquirer, so why the all the squawking now about Hawaii?

    And as for changing the childs name, face it, she was exploiting Naveen’s name when she named the child Naveen Joshua simply so that his IMDB page would appear whenever Naveen Andrews’ fans looked him up on IMDB.

    For someone who is a supposedly expert in 19 lauguages, her gutter lifestyle is so coarse. To cry poor mouth with the knowledge of 19 languages? She should be making a much more stable and lucritive career than bit parts and PA’s on independent movies.

    With her real name and prior past job history she should have used those 3 years she had custodial custody as a gift and a chance of redemption instead of exploiting a child and trying to keep a loving father from his son.

    Those are NOT the actions of a loving wonderful mother. In ANY book. Those are the actions of someone unstable, or of a cold, calculating manipulator, either way, COMPLETE unsuitable to raise a child.

  33. Bipolar Girl says:

    RE: Didn’t he cheat on Hershey with this woman who is the mother of his child?

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Yes, they were broken up at the time he got the babies’ momma pregnant. Since Naveen and Barbara were broken up at the time that does not mean it was cheating. They were not committed at the time.

  34. jJNSRQ re comments really that big a deal?

  35. Louise R says:

    Folks, money talks, cash screams…