Adopted Daughter Says Parents Abandoned Her (Full Episode) | Paternity Court

You may be seated. -Hello, Your Honor. -Hello.

This is the case of Cherry v. Johnson. Thank you, Jerome.

Good day, everyone. [audience] Good day. Miss Cherry, you claim Mr Johnson is your father, even though this is the first time you've ever seen him in person.

You know he does not believe that he is your biological father. But you claim this is the only man you've ever been told is your dad. Mr Johnson, you admit that you have never believed you are her father, but you say you understand why today's results are so important for both of you.

-Is that correct? -Yes, Your Honor. All right, so, Miss Cherry, tell us why opening this case is so important.

Yes, Your Honor. I am just looking for closure. I was adopted.

I mean, within family, so I know who my mother is and everything, but I was adopted within family. And certain family members have always made the statements that. .

. my parents just didn't love me and that's why they gave me up. What?

That is awful. I can't even imagine, Miss Cherry, what you've gone through, having to hear just such mean-spirited remarks, and then, to have to go through this pretty much alone. And so, you've been strong enough to make it to this point.

You've been told Mr Johnson is your biological father -your whole life. -Yes, Your Honor. You've never been given another name.

No, Your Honor. So, Mr Johnson, Miss Cherry says you are the only man she's ever been told is her biological father. Yes, Your Honor.

And yet, you admittedly have not been there. Yes, Your Honor. And you don't know if you are her biological father, or are you completely doubtful?

I am, first of all, very sympathetic to Jennifer and her journey, and I do not believe that I am her father because of things that were told to me over the years. It was told to me that I was her father, and then, um, there was a member of the family who came later on, and told me that they found out that I was not the father. .

. -[audience gasping] -. .

. and they apologized to me. Okay, so take me back.

I really want to understand this from the beginning, because I understand this is very complex. You remember the relationship with her mother? [Johnson] Yes, ma'am.

How did you meet? Tell me about that relationship. At the time, in 1985, my girlfriend was also pregnant and she had left to go to Ohio.

Miss. . .

Well, Jennifer's mother sent someone from the neighborhood with a note saying that she wanted to sleep with me -and she was in love with me. -[audience exclaiming] At this time, I had a few beers and I can't blame that on the alcohol. Needless to say, we ended up having that one encounter that one night.

So you did have sex with her mother. . .

-Yes. -. .

. one night. -One night.

-Ah. So, Miss Cherry, what were you told? The only thing that I know both are saying is that he took her virginity.

. . [audience gasping] .

. . but he advised me that he thought she was pregnant beforehand.

But your mother, she couldn't be pregnant beforehand and then he take her virginity. So, Mr Johnson, do you believe Miss Cherry's mother was a virgin? Is that what you were told?

Was that your understanding? At the time we slept together, I did believe that she was a virgin because of the events that took place after the fact. So at the time, you thought she was a virgin?

-[Johnson] Yes. -Did you use protection? No, I did not.

[audience murmuring] So after that, when do you find out she's pregnant? Do you find out? Yes, I found out through the neighborhood, uh, people in the neighborhood were just coming up to me and telling me, "Congratulations on your daughter," and I was saying, "I'm having a son.

" Oh! So then, did you get wind of the fact that they were taking about Miss Cherry's mother? Yes, because the person in the neighborhood had told me that it was Didi, in fact, that was pregnant with my child.

Ah, and then what did you do? I didn't believe it because of the timeline, it just didn't seem to match up to me. [Judge Lake] So, Miss Cherry, you hear Mr Johnson testifying that people were saying to him congratulations on your baby girl, that would be you.

But you hear him saying that he didn't think you were his. What were you told about this? When your mom talked to you about being pregnant with you?

I have never gotten anything. It's always been just, "Prez Johnson is your dad," that's it. And so, Mr Johnson, when you do find out about the birth?

When did you find out Miss Cherry had been born? Well, I went to the hospital to visit my son who had been born, um, and when I got to the hospital, someone had said. .

. "Are you here to see your daughter? " [audience exclaiming] So again, you're getting the same feedback, -like, you have a daughter.

-Mmm-hmm. Did you say, "Where is this baby? " Well, when I looked in the room, Jennifer's grandmother was holding her and Didi was laying in the bed, and I just proceeded to go to my girlfriend's room.

[audience gasping] Again, at this time, I had already been told that I was not the father, But now again. . .

Who told you you weren't the father at that time? Someone in Jennifer's family that was threatening me to step up as her father for months. And all of a sudden, he came back to me and said to me, "We found out who the real father is, you are not the father, and I apologize to you.

" -But was that credible. . .

-[Cherry] Your Honor-- . . .

or did you just assume it and run with it because you were already having another baby? So you didn't really want the responsibility of having a second baby. -I will answer that honestly.

-[Judge Lake] Okay. I will answer that honestly. Yes, and that is absolutely true.

At a young age where I was, and being committed, even though I was told this was not my child. . .

All right, and that's what we're here to do, tell the truth. -We wanna know how we got here. -[Johnson] Yes.

And so, as you look back now, now you are a mature, grown man. . .

-Mmm-hmm. -Do you regret not pursuing the opportunity to truly find out if Miss Cherry is your biological daughter? Yes, I actually do regret it, but I did try to reach out and find them.

I did not have any names, I did go downtown in 2000 to try to get a blood test, but at that time, they said I would have to pay $700, which I did not have at that time to pay, to take the blood test. -All right. -[Cherry] Your Honor.

-Yes. -Um. .

. My mother had advised me that two years prior to me being adopted, both parents signed their rights over. Ah.

I feel like if you wanted to know, you could have found out at that moment because previously to that, the courts were trying to do a DNA test, and you never showed up. Do you remember signing over your parental rights, Mr Johnson? I have never signed a birth certificate.

I have never signed any documents pertaining to Jennifer other than child support. My mom has been honest about everything to me. So she stated that there was multiple attempts to do a DNA test before the child support even.

. . So, Mr Johnson, this does get kind of odd, because you have these moments where you say that you have the opportunity to settle this, to get closure, to have resolution to this.

And it seems like you keep evading this process. Whether you say you saw the baby in the hospital, but you didn't walk through the door, the family member says you need to step up, but you don't, and instead they come back and say you're not the father. There are DNA test opportunities.

Were you just a young man with enough responsibility and you were basically saying, "I can't deal with this, so I'm just not gonna show up and whatever happens happens. . .

" I mean, what is the real truth? The real truth is what you just said, probably, Your Honor, it probably really is the truth. I was young, dumb, and didn't step up to my responsibility.

At some point, you say, "I want to search for my father. " Yes, Your Honor. And you begin that search.

Can you tell the court how that came about? I did a DNA ancestry, and it linked me to cousins. I had told them I don't know my father or anything like that, so they asked me for the name.

They came, literally ten minutes. It was like, "We couldn't find anyone with that spelling, but we found someone with this spelling. " It was him, the only Prez Johnson in Pittsburgh that was on Facebook.

So I sent him a message on Facebook. So you submitted that message to the court, and the message reads. .

. [reading] Mr Johnson, you respond. .

. [reading] [audience member] Wow. When you got that response, what were you thinking?

I started crying. Because in that moment, what did it feel like? Like I finally found him.

And I can see how emotional that makes you as well, Mr Johnson. What are you feeling in this moment? Why are you so emotional?

The reason why I did submit to pay child support all her life is because even though I did not believe that she was my child, I knew there was a child out there in need. And that would probably need someone someday, to say that they care. Your Honor, I don't.

. . I'm sorry, I don't believe he ever cared.

Because I still was adopted. [audience affirms] Both of my parents signed the rights over. Both of them.

And you claim as well, Miss Cherry, the kind of in and out thought process of as we saw on the text exchange, "I think you very well may be," to, "No, I don't think you are. " -That's-- -That is just confusing to you. You've submitted the message to the court.

I'd like to read that. Mr Johnson says. .

. [reading] [audience member] Wow. Mr Johnson, this doesn't sound doubtful.

This says you believe 99% she is your daughter and that you've been waiting your whole life for her to contact you. That was actually after I'd seen the pictures. [Judge Lake] And you've been waiting for her to contact you since you saw the pictures, or her whole life?

What are you waiting for? I've been waiting her whole life to contact me, and I thought I was gonna be able to just have to tell her I'm not her father, but when I'd seen her picture, I said there's so much resemblance that there is a chance, a strong chance that you are. [Judge Lake] Miss Cherry, I wanna ask you this.

This courtroom is a place where we are able to tell our truth. And as I sit here through this hearing, I feel the confusion you must have felt. Can you look at Mr Johnson, the man you've been told your whole life is your biological father, the man you believe is your biological father, can you tell him what that confusion has been like, has felt like?

I wouldn't say. . .

I mean, I've felt unloved my whole life. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

And you know, my child questions who my parents are. She knows who her parents are, she knows who her grandparents are from her dad. So when she's questioning me and saying, "Well, Mommy, where's your mom and dad at, what's your parents' names, why don't we ever go see them when we go back home?

" I'm very proud of you, to where you have brought yourself, without a father or a mother, whether I am or am not. You are a dynamic woman. You have brought yourself to a point to where you have to be proud of yourself.

No matter what the outcome comes of this, I'm proud of you. I'm very proud of you. And I will be happy if the results came back saying that you were my child.

With that said, you still had a place in my heart and always will. I don't think we need to wait a moment longer. Jerome, I'm ready for the results.

[audience applauding] These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. In the case of Cherry v. Johnson, when it comes to 33-year-old Jennifer Cherry, It has been determined by this Court, Mr Johnson, you.

. . are not the father.

I'm so sorry. It's okay. I was hoping to get closure for you today, Miss Cherry.

-[Cherry] It's okay. -You are so deserving and worthy. And even though I could not give you the answer you wanted, I've given you one of the answers you needed.

Mr Johnson, I see how emotional you are. Is there something you would like to say to Miss Cherry? Yes, I mean, I may not be your biological father, and I didn't raise you, but I can give you life.

I can give you the journey to move forward together with me, and maybe someday you will find your real father, and maybe you'll have two. But I'm still gonna be there for you. You're not alone.

Right? [cries] You see, Miss Cherry? Limitless possibilities.

You came in here and said you felt unloved and alone all your life. And in just this moment you have realized you are not alone. And you are loved.

-Right? -Yes, Your Honor. We have counseling and resources for you.

I want you to talk to Dr Jeff, and I wish you the very best. Court is adjourned.