Miss Bargy, I wanted to speak to you in my chambers -before we started your hearing. -Yes, Your Honor. [Judge Lake] Because I realize you are going to have to deal with some very real truths out there.
Yes, Your Honor. Your husband and the man you cheated with, they both think they're your daughter's biological father. Yes, Your Honor.
-I don't know where else to turn. -[Judge Lake] All right. I want her to be a part of her father's life but right now, I don't know who her father is.
So, I feel horrible about it. I should have fixed my marriage but instead, I ran off and done some things that I shouldn't have. I understand, and we are not perfect people.
And we have to sometimes walk through the fire, right? -Yes, Your Honor. -To get to the other side.
And I appreciate that you have the courage today to walk through that fire for your daughter. You ready to start the hearing? Yes, I am, Your Honor.
-Let's do it. -Okay. Please be seated.
-Hello, Your Honor. -Hello. This is the case of Bargy v.
Lawson. Thank you, Jerome. Good day, everyone.
[audience] Good day. Miss Bargy, you and I spoke briefly in my chambers. Yes, Your Honor.
You admit you cheated on your husband and now you are caught in a paternity triangle with both men believing they fathered your two-month-old daughter, McKenna. -Yes, Your Honor. -You are hoping today's DNA results prove that your husband is her father, so you can save your marriage.
Is this correct? Yes, Your Honor. -Mr Bargy?
-Yes, Your Honor. You have fallen in love with McKenna and you're desperately hoping she is your biological daughter. -Is that correct?
-Yes, Your Honor. Are you both ready to face the man with whom she had the affair? [both] Yes, Your Honor.
Jerome, can you please escort Mr Lawson and his girlfriend into the courtroom. [audience murmurs] [Jerome] You can go over here on the left. Mr Lawson, you admit to having an affair with a married woman, and you claim that you, not her husband, are McKenna's biological father.
Is that true? Yes, Your Honor. Miss Bargy, I wanna start with you.
Tell us how we got here. I was with my husband. We had been married and we'd been having some problems, and then I started talking to Calvin again, and then from there, I had an affair on my husband.
And now I'm in a mess to where I do not know who her father is. And this is why we're here today, because I want to find out because McKenna deserves to know the truth. And as you stand here today, you are completely honest that you don't know whether your husband, Mr Bargy, or your ex, Mr Lawson, is McKenna's biological father.
Yes, Your Honor. And as you stand here, between these two men, how do you feel? I'm overwhelmed.
[stammers] I honestly hope that my husband is the father because he's been there for her, he's doing everything he can to provide for her, and he's been more of a father than Mr Lawson has. -So, Mr Bargy. .
. -Yes. You've fallen in love with McKenna.
Yes. Tell me about the relationship you have with her. Um, I could be at work for ten to 12 hours a day.
I take five minutes of my time, busy or not at work, video call to hear her. Like that, right there, I wake her up when I get home. And as soon as she hears my voice, she's smiling.
[audience] Aw. [Robert] And as soon as she hears a car pull in, she knows I'm home. [Judge Lake] So, that's your baby?
In your heart, that's your baby? [Robert] That is my baby. And you're hoping that today's results affirm that.
[audience] Aw. Mr Lawson, I have to say, as you look at this video, though, you believe you are McKenna's biological father, am I correct? Yes, Your Honor.
I believe I am, because I was around. . .
She was with me when she got pregnant. I was there for the whole pregnancy. I was there when McKenna was born.
Miss Bargy, can you explain to the court how we got here. I was having issues with my husband when I came back. We'd been together for about a month and we ended up, um, having intimate time, and then.
. . A few weeks later, me and Mr Lawson reincarnated and we got back together.
You "reincarnated"? -[audience laughs] -I'm trying to put it into words. We got back together 'cause we'd been together on and off for five years.
Oh, you reconnected. -Yes. -Okay, and you started having sex as well?
-Yes. -Okay. And that's where we are, where we are now, because the conception dates, I was given three different conception dates, and three different due dates.
So everything. . .
The timelines don't add up with everything, and that's what we're here for, is to find out the truth. [Judge Lake] Ah! So, take me to the day you found out you were pregnant.
Uh, the day that I. . .
The day that I found out was the end of April. It was April the 27th. I.
. . It.
. . The whole month of April I was getting sick.
I took a pregnancy test, and then it came back that I was pregnant. Who did you tell first? I told my mother first, and me and Calvin had been living together, -and.
. . Yes.
-Oh, Mr Lawson. So, when you broke up with your husband, after you had the affair, you started living with Mr Lawson? We ended up getting a place together right after me and my husband split up.
Ah! right after me and my husband split up. So, you tell Mr Lawson, "I'm pregnant.
" Yes. And what were your thoughts, Mr Lawson? Were you happy?
I thought so. I was happy because me and her talked about you know, a family, a life together. And so, you believed her, and you believed this is the start of the family you two said you wanted together.
-Yes, ma'am. -This baby. But, Miss Bargy, at that time, did you also know that your husband could potentially be the father?
At first, I thought it was Calvin for sure. But then going back, the dates and everything, things started to not add up. [Ashley] And so, I got confused, and I didn't really know who to tell.
[Judge Lake] Tell me about the time when you actually got up the courage to tell your husband that you were pregnant and McKenna could be his child. [Ashley] I did not tell my husband, period. He had a mutual friend that was on my Facebook, and they had actually sent him a picture of me posting an ultrasound.
And then, he started contacting me, and then finally, I had to sit down with him and talk to him, and tell him, "Okay, well, you know, I am pregnant. " And then, we started talking about the dates and everything, and even Mr Bargy had stated that he could be the father as well, because of the dates. So it was you, Mr Bargy, who said, "Listen, if this story is true, these dates add up to me being McKenna's biological father.
" Yes, because there was multiple times that we'd slept together. So, you. .
. Well, wait, I thought you were living with Mr Lawson. Yes.
But you were cheating on Mr Lawson with your husband? [audience exclaims] We had slept together one time, and that was due to the fact that he had spoken to one of my friends, and they had talked about actually being together with. .
. My friend was one of his exes. His ex actually messaged me and was showing me messages that him and her were sleeping together -when we were.
. . Yes.
-Who? Mr Lawson? [audience exclaiming] So, you cheated on your husband with Mr Lawson, decided to go get a house with Mr Lawson, to only find out that he was cheating on you.
She told you that he was still sleeping with her so you went back and started sleeping with your husband. Yes. Your Honor.
Now that's a mess if I ever heard of one. [applause] I'm not here to make it about me and him. I'm here to make it about that little girl right there.
-[applause] -Yes. That right there is my world. That indeed is who it is about.
[Judge Lake] And unfortunately, for this little girl, there are multiple players here. Miss Bargy, who were you with when McKenna was born? [Ashley] I was with Calvin.
-Mr Lawson. -Yes, I was with Mr Lawson. Was he present at the birth?
Were you at the birth, Mr Lawson? -Yes, Your Honor. -Yes.
You participated? You were there through the whole thing? Yes, Your Honor.
-Did you sign her birth certificate? -No, ma'am. No, because I'm still married by the State of Tennessee.
Right. I tried to explain that because my last name is still my husband's last name, that McKenna's last name would have to go as Bargy, because of the fact that me and Mr Lawson were not married. [Judge Lake] Right.
And for the record, you and your husband are back together now. -Yes, ma'am. -Yes, Your Honor.
-But he wasn't present. -No. I did not call him and tell him I was going into labor because I did not want anything between Mr Lawson and Mr Bargy to occur at the hospital.
So, you said you had to give McKenna your husband's last name. -Yes, Your Honor. -But is your husband on the birth certificate?
No, Your Honor. He is not. I put that I, mother refused information because of everything that was going on.
[Judge Lake] And I suppose, from your testimony, Mr Bargy, you would have liked to be on the birth certificate regardless, because you've accepted this baby, and you want this baby in your life. -[Robert] Yes. -[Judge Lake] And based upon the timeline, you believe you are McKenna's biological father.
And I heard you say, Miss Bargy, that you got multiple windows of conception and due dates. Which, they do often shift. .
. -Mm-hm. -.
. . when you're having a baby.
Yes, Your Honor. [Judge Lake] But the problem is because you were with both of these men within the span of a few weeks. So, even when you adjusted, the doubt doesn't really disappear.
No, it does not, Your Honor. [Judge Lake] I understand. So, what is your relationship now like with McKenna, Mr Lawson?
What is your relationship? You say you believe she is your biological child. What type of relationship do you have with her?
Right now, I don't have a relationship because when Miss Bargy left. . .
We have talked and tried to set up times for me to see her. But there is, uh. .
. a lack of information. You feel like she's being evasive.
Your Honor, I have given him plenty of opportunities to see her. I have called him three and four days in advance, and said, "Look, do you want to see her on this day? " And he'll say, "I will let you know.
I have to come up with some money. I don't have a job right now. " This and that.
And it's been four different times, and I can count on my hands how many times he's actually messaged me about how is McKenna doing and things like that. That is why I'm hoping it's my husband's. I have personally took days off of work when he says he's gonna be there.
[audience exclaiming] Ah, and you're saying, Mr Bargy, that he makes the plan but he doesn't show up. There's been times where he'd message her and there'd be about a week, we don't hear nothing from him. I mean, if it were my kid, I'd be messaging every day.
Like, I don't care if I'm at work, if I lose my job or what. I'm calling to check on my kids. [applause] My kids are irreplaceable.
My job is. So, Miss Bargy, the stakes really are high for you today. -Yes, Your Honor.
-And I can see that you've been honest about this, the fact that you've gotten yourself into this mess. -Yes, Your Honor. -Have you thought about the results?
If Mr Lawson is McKenna's biological father, have you thought about where you go from here? If Mr Lawson is her father, I do not want him to be a part of her life, period. Like, I want rights terminated because my daughter deserves so much better.
My husband has been there and took care of her since all this has happened. He has been an amazing father and at this point, -McKenna deserves so much better. -[applause] Well, I believe this Court has heard enough testimony.
Jerome, I'm ready for the results. These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. In the case of Bargy v.
Lawson, pertaining to whether Mr Bargy or Mr Lawson is the father of two-month old McKenna Bargy. . .
It has been determined by this Court, the biological father is. . .
The biological father is. . .
Mr. . Lawson.
You are McKenna's biological father, Mr Lawson. That's okay. I'm still gonna raise her.
Do you want to be in her life? -Yes, Your Honor. -[Judge Lake] You do.
Fact that he wants to be a part of her life, you guys have got to figure this out. -But I want to be there. -How.
. . Mr Bargy, okay.
We all know where you stand. Unfortunately, you can't outtalk this DNA. You can't.
We know how you feel, but it just didn't go that way. It just didn't. We deal in reality in this courtroom.
What is the reality of the situation? So, wouldn't it be better if from the beginning she had the love of both men? Why not?
She deserves it. [applause] So you got to start from ground zero and work your way through the issues. This is complicated.
But we made our bed, right? Yes, Your Honor. Now we got to figure this out.
So, now that we have the truth, we are operating from a different vantage point. And no little girl needs a pop-up pops. I say that all the time.
We don't need a pop-up pops. Don't just be popping up. We need dedicated dads.
-Right? -[applause] I want to send you all off to Dr Jeff for counseling, some resources. I want you to be honest.
Consistency and cooperation are gonna be the keys to you guys raising this baby girl. All right. I wish you all the very best.
Court is adjourned.
