Richard Williams is famously known to be the top tennis coach and the father of the Tennis Superstars Serena and Venus Williams. But it should be known by people at this point that Richard too has lived the life of a so-called stereotypical celebrity. Richard was depicted by Will Smith in the Hollywood biopic “Ruler Richard.”
He is in a vicious court fight with his ex, Lakeisha Graham, which started in 2017. They met at a tennis match in Miami, got married in 2010, and now live in West Palm Beach, Florida, with their 10-year-old son Dylan.
Richard, 80, and Lakeisha, 44, are at odds over their Palm Beach Gardens marital property, which he claims was given to Lakeisha for ten dollars because she allegedly forged his signature on the title deeds. According to court documents, Lakeisha then approached “hard lender” David Simon, who provided her with a loan of $279,000, which she spent on a failing trucking business.
Despite the judge’s dismissal of a lawsuit against Lakeisha, Richard continues to fight for the return of the house. According to court documents, Lakeisha claimed that the house was given to her as part of Richard’s obligation to pay child support to their son.
Richard, who has suffered multiple strokes and is now frail, admitted that he had had enough of the drama in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun alongside his 49-year-old son Chavoita. “It won’t be a problem if I get the house.” As he tried to see the good in the stressful situation, he chuckled, “That’s quite okay if I don’t get the house. We’ll be happy either way, up or down.”
Serena & Venus' Dad Files for Divorce, She's Robbing Me Blind! https://t.co/lpO5BETorw
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 15, 2017
He responded, “When I asked how I’ve found the split, which has been going on for years, I want a divorce. Man, it’s been six years just a lot of junk, junk, and more junk. I’m so over that junk right now.”
He made a joke when asked if he would date again. “Dating? Too many women admire me, but I no longer want to. “I no longer trust women. I want to be alone, and maybe I’ll live a quieter life.”
Although they are embroiled in a legal dispute, he refuses to disparage the mother of his child. He stated that he believed Lakeisha to have been a “good wife.” Despite his health issues, Richard can take care of Dylan, also known as Junior, and drive him to and from school, according to reports.
All About Richard Williams’ Marriages So Far
Actually, Richard was married three times. Betty Johnson was his first partner. They had five children together: Richard III, Sabrina, Ronner, Reluss, and Reneeka. Richard Williams was then married to Betty from 1965 to 1973 (Betty also had another daughter from a previous relationship). They did, indeed, also reside in California.
Richard met Oracene “Cognac” Cost in 1979. By the time she met Richard, her previous husband had already left her with three children. In 1980, Richard and Brandy tied the knot. Despite living apart since 2000, Richard and Oracene filed for divorce in 2002.
He wed Lakeisha Juanita Graham in 2010. Lakeisha was a 37-year-old woman at the time who was just one year older than Venus Williams. Dylan, Richard and Lakeisha’s son, is only nine years old at the time of this writing. Unfortunately, they separated in 2017.
Additionally, Richard has at least one other confirmed child. Chavoita Lesane, 48, is one of his eldest children and has been taking care of him since 2016, according to multiple reports. Richard is said to be in poor health because he has had multiple strokes, suffers from a disorder, and may even have dementia.