"Your Mother Was A Hit It And Quit It Thang" (Full Episode) | Paternity Court

Please be seated. -Good morning, Your Honor. -Good morning.

This is the case of Smith v. Lewis. Thank you, Jerome.

Good day, everyone. [audience] Good day. Ms.

Smith, you say you've been waiting your entire life for the truth. And opened your case to prove that Mr Lewis is your biological father. You claim you are tired of his back and forth, as it pertains to paternity, and hope today's results will prove what you already know.

-Is that correct? -Yes, Your Honor. Mr Lewis, you claim that years of doubt have caused you to question paternity and unfortunately, you don't believe that Brittaney is your daughter.

-Is that correct? -[Lewis] Yes, Your Honor. All right, so, Ms.

Smith, why is today so important? Today is important to me, so I can get closure. Because he's always going back and forth for why he's not my father.

He didn't sign my birth certificate. When he wants something, I'm his daughter, when he don't get what he want, I'm not his daughter. He just been a big absence in my life.

And I read in the court papers that it hurts you that no one's on your birth certificate. -[Smith] Yeah. -[Judge Lake] It really bothers you.

-[Smith] Yes. -[Judge Lake] Tell the court. [Smith] It hurt me so bad, because I don't wanna have a family of my own, because he been denying me my whole life.

-[audience] Aw. -[Lewis] Aw. Mr Lewis, when you hear Ms.

Smith speak like this, what's your response? [Lewis] Your Honor, first of all, her mom, me and her, we got to dating. Wasn't no relationship goin' on, it was just a hit-and-quit thing.

[audience exclaiming] It was just a hit-and-quit thing, that was all it was. [Judge Lake] But there's a whole bunch here in this world from a hit it and quit, 'cause you can make a baby right quick. [Lewis] True.

Right quick. That's true. So what does that explain?

I agree with you 100 percent. She's not my daughter. [audience exclaims] -[Smith sniffling] -She's not mine.

Nothing like me, nothing like me. She's not my daughter. Period.

She's not mine. And so. .

. I wanna understand this. You had a relationship with her mother and you admit that.

At what point did you find out she was pregnant? Well. .

. I had moved out of town. .

. I had moved out of town, friend of mine I had ran into told me that, uh, Liz was pregnant. Okay, when I came back to Cleveland, Ohio.

. . Moved back to Cleveland, Ohio, I ran into another friend of mine, he said that Liz had a daughter, baby girl.

And it's supposed to be your daughter. So. .

. [Judge Lake] What happened? [Lewis] So I got a baby, I'm a real man, I go and see.

My ex-wife right here, me and her, we was together, we went up there to see what was going on. When we went up there, I remember good as day. .

. When we went up there, it was a conflict going on between Liz and her mother. Okay?

So, at that time, Britanney was about. . .

She was about three days old. -Three or four days old. -Okay.

So I asked Liz, "Let's talk and understand what's going on. " They had nowhere to go. I took Brittaney.

[audience exclaims] Took Brittaney to my home. Did you think at that time, "This is my daughter, so I'm taking her? " No, I did not want Brittaney to be in the system, because her mother deals with the system.

[audience exclaiming] [Judge Lake] That's commendable. It really is. So, Brittaney, I want to understand from you, growing up, were you told your whole life that Mr Lewis was your biological father?

-[Smith] Yes. -Tell me what were you told? My mother always told me that he was my father.

She had no denial of him not being the father, she hasn't messed with nobody else. And I just feel like. .

. She was the neighborhood pro. -[audience exclaims] -[Lewis laughs] -[Judge Lake] Hold on there.

-Excuse me. -[Judge Lake] Let's be respectful. -Okay.

Excuse me. And I just don't understand for him to sit here today, or stand here today and take a child that you don't think that's yours. Why would you even do that?

[audience applauding] [Judge Lake] So how long was this? How long did you have Brittaney, Mr Lewis? How long was she in your custody?

I had Brittaney, uh. . .

Like I said, she was three. . .

Three, four days old until Brittaney got, uh, about ten, eleven, off and on, because her mother would come get her. [Judge Lake] So, wait a minute. You're saying you took care of Brittaney for ten years of her life?

-On and off? -On and off, ma'am, yeah. -[Judge Lake] As her father?

-Yes, ma'am. [Judge Lake] Did you call him, "Daddy"? Yes.

[Judge Lake] So what kind of memories do you have with Mr Lewis? What do you remember? Him trying to be a fake father to me my whole life.

-[audience exclaiming] -A fake father. [Judge Lake] Why do you say "a fake father"? Explain.

I see this. . .

'Cause one minute he was there, and the next minute, he wasn't. -Like he was a ghost. -[audience exclaims] I just don't understand how you can take somebody and treat them like your daughter sometimes and then the rest of the time they're not.

Because your mother should've came forward and said something, that's why. And he always stood me up. He never.

. . He waited.

. . Made me wait 25 years to get a test.

I've been trying to pay for a test, he wouldn't do it. -[audience exclaiming] -Wow. So, Mr Lewis, this is interesting to me, because, if, in fact you truly believe you were not Ms.

Smith's biological father, and she's asking you over and over again to get a test. . .

If you're that sure, why not take the test so you can get the clarity. [audience applauding] -Your Honor. .

. -She says you were avoiding the test. [Lewis] Your Honor, I never avoided no test.

I never avoided no test. If that was the case, I would've took the test. You know who her father is?

Could you give this to her, please? Jerome, let me see Mr Lewis' evidence, please. -Thank you.

-And, Your Honor, you tell me. . .

[scoffs] You look at her and you tell me. . .

This is a photo of a man. [Lewis] Yes. That's the man that I.

. . That's the man.

. . Yeah, tell me about it, Your Honor.

Yeah, yeah, tell me. You believe this is her biological father? [Lewis] That is her father.

You know why I say that? Because that's a statement of fact, 'cause I caught him and her mom having sex. First of all, how do you know this man?

[Lewis] That is my great-great uncle. [audience exclaiming] My great. .

. I pulled up in the yard, family house, the door was cracked, it was open, I walk in, the bed is sitting right there, right in front of the door, small apartment. .

. -Smacking, they're getting it. -[audience exclaims] They're getting it.

Next thing I know. . .

He hear a door open, he turn around and look and see me, she raise her head up. All I did was look and shook my head and walked out. Wait.

So, Mr Lewis, you're saying you walked in, and she was in bed with your uncle. Yes, ma'am. And you believe Ms.

Smith's father is your uncle. Tell me. What they look like?

[chuckles] [Judge Lake] Ms. Smith, have you ever heard this before? [Smith] No.

[Lewis] Hmm. She should know. [chuckles] She should know.

I just feel like he should just man up and really just take full responsibility of his actions, 'cause I didn't ask to be here. [Lewis] And, you know what, Your Honor? If that's the case, if she's my daughter, yes, I will stand up.

I want her in my life. If she's mine. You can't deny nobody if you don't have facts first.

But that's her dad right there. That's her dad right there. [Judge Lake] So, Mr Lewis, do you agree with Ms.

Smith's testimony that you were inconsistent raising her? She says sometimes you were there, sometimes you a ghost. -Yeah, that's true.

-[Judge Lake] Why is that? Was it because of the doubt? It was because of the doubt and plus, I was in and out of town, I stayed in Cleveland, I got family in Georgia, moved out here to Georgia, you know.

So, yes, I was gone. Yes, I was. I was gone, but she was getting things from her mother, Her mother was pumping her head up with things, you know.

Pumpin' her head up with things instead of telling her the real deal that she was nothing but a street hood. -[audience exclaiming] -You know, I mean, that was it. That's her father right there, though.

Well, I need you to stop putting her mother down, because you slept with her. -Well, yeah. -[Judge Lake] And.

. . -[audience applauding] -Yes, I did.

Yes, I did. -[Judge Lake] So, therefore. .

. -Yes, I did. Okay.

So let's get that straight. -[Lewis] Okay. -And so, let's not downgrade a woman in the court room unnecessarily, because at the end of the day, Ms.

Smith, your mother maintained without a doubt that Mr Lewis was your biological father. -Yes, Your Honor. -[Judge Lake] She never told you any different?

-No. -You were consistently over at his home with his ex-wife, you were there? Yes.

So, tell Mr Lewis, what do you want today? Tell him. -If he is my father-- -Turn to him and tell him.

If you are my father, I want you to sign my birth certificate. And I want nothing else besides that. [audience applauding] We'll soon find out.

So, Ms. Smith, you've brought two witnesses. I'd like to hear from them.

Ms. Moore, will you please stand and step over to the podium? And, Ms.

Lewis, please step up to the podium. Ms. Moore, I'd like to ask you what do you know about this case?

He had brought me his daughter. He told me he had a daughter. And I seen Brittaney for the first time and I said, "Well, she looks just like you.

" And just to be clear, you are Mr Lewis' ex-wife? [Moore] Yes, I am. And I start, you know, um, consuming that what he said, this was his daughter, so I took care of her for a long time.

Did he tell you when he brought you the baby, "This is my daughter," or, "This might be my daughter"? He say it was his daughter. -[Judge Lake] All right.

-Ooh! You never looked at her and said, "Well, no, she doesn't look like you to me, she's not yours"? You didn't doubt it?

-No, I did not. -[Lewis] Several times. I doubted several times, but I didn't really doubt it, because she looked like him.

-[Judge Lake] Ms. Lewis. -[Moeisha] Hi.

[Judge Lake] Thank you for joining us. What's your relationship with Ms. Smith?

[Moeisha] She is my sister. And the reason why I say that is because. .

. I mean, my dad, he good at that. It's like, he got a paternity test.

. . For the record, I just want to be clear.

-You are Mr Lewis' daughter. -[Moeisha] Yes. That's my baby.

Yeah. -And Ms. Moore is your mother.

-Yes, Your Honor. All right. So you say Brittaney, Ms.

Smith is your sister. [Moeisha] Yes, Your Honor. -[Judge Lake] And you said that clearly.

-Yes. [Judge Lake] Please explain to the Court. Because, first of all, Your Honor, he is good at doing that as in, like, he got a paternity test with me.

-[audience exclaiming] -And it's so hard to explain because. . .

I. . .

[sighs] Um. . .

[Lewis] See, you can't even say it. Because, I mean, it's just so sad, 'cause she. .

. Like I said, because I already grew up with Brittaney, and I'm. .

. It's sad because. .

. I can hear the pain in your voice. [Moeisha] Yes, 'cause.

. . Why are you so hurt?

Tell the Court. -[Lewis] Mmm. -'Cause I can see it.

'Cause I love Brittaney to death. And, like, I just want her to stop feeling like she alone. She not alone.

Like, he put us through the same thing that you're going through. He put us through the same thing. And it's sad, because he say he so much a real man, but how are you such a real man, look what you're doing to your own kids.

-[audience applauding] -It hurts. It hurts a lot. It really do.

Like. . .

[Moore] You'll still be my daughter. [Moeisha] And I hope Brittaney understand that no matter what. .

. [Moore] She'll still be my daughter. .

. . she's gonna always be my sister, no matter what, Brittaney, I promise.

No matter what. [Moore] You'll always, no matter what, you'll always be my daughter. -[Moeisha] I love you.

-[sobbing] [Moore] And I accept her that way. Yeah, she's been around since she was two, three years. I mean, two, three days.

I'm pretty sure. [Judge Lake] Brittaney, how does it feel in this moment to stand between two beautiful women who say, regardless, you're still gonna be their family? And yet, I can see from your reaction, that you feel.

. . You feel isolated and alone.

I just feel so numb. It's at a point where my whole body just feel like it's flatlined. [sniffles] You've been waiting for 25 years.

[Smith] Yes. [Judge Lake] You've had this doubt. .

. You can't remember a time when you didn't have this doubt. No.

[Judge Lake] And you've had to live with it? Yes. [Judge Lake] No child and no adult should have to live with the pain of this kind of doubt.

That's what paternity secrets and paternity issues do. And that's why we're here to get down to the bottom of it. I have the results for you.

Jerome, may I have the envelope, please. [audience applauding] These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. In the case of Smith v.

Lewis, when it comes to 25-year-old Brittaney Smith. . .

It has been determined by this Court. . .

Mr Lewis, you. . .

are not the father. -[audience exclaims] -Right. Ta-da.

That's her father right there. -[sobbing] -That's him right there. [Moore] Oh, my God.

-[Lewis] Thank you. -Are you all right? You truly thought this was the biological father?

Yes. And you know what, Your Honor, it's so bad, because Brittaney, she used to call and disrespect me and now she can't get mad at me no more. Who can she get mad at now?

-Her mother. -[Judge Lake] Listen, listen. -Mr Lewis.

-[Lewis] I'm just. . .

-[Judge Lake] Mr Lewis. -Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

[Judge Lake] You're doing too much. 'Cause you know what? You had a part to play in this.

So you're not gonna walk out of here with your cape on like you was the hero. -[audience applauding] -Because the real truth is, you had a part in this. And now that it has played out in the way that you testified, the truth is, is what you said has been proven in this Court.

You are not her biological father, but this is not the time. I understand. -This is not the time.

. . -I understand.

-[Judge Lake] All right? -I understand. For you to bring up the past, because we want to support and empower Brittaney in this present moment.

-[Moore] Yes. -[Lewis] I understand. Mr Lewis, I need to ask you this.

You say this is your great-uncle. Do you have a way to reach him? Is he still.

. . My uncle, he's deceased, ma'am.

-[Judge Lake] Oh. -He's deceased. [Judge Lake] Brittaney, I'm so sorry, but the truth is always the best closure we can have.

-[Moore] Yes. -Because it sets us on the right path. I want you all to take advantage of the counselling and the resources.

-Thank you. -I wish you the very, very best. Court is adjourned.