Man With Four Wives Denies Paternity (Full Episode) | Paternity Court

Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of Marsh v.

Reed. Thank you, Jerome. Good day, everyone.

AUDIENCE: Good day. Miss Marsh. You and your mom have demanded the defendant, Mr Reed, appear in court today.

Because you say he denies your one-year-old daughter, Tamari only when you deny his desire to have a relationship with you, is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Yes, Your Honor.

JUDGE LAKE: Mr Reed, you claim that Miss Marsh has confessed to you that you may not be Tamari's biological father and you believe she's trying to trap you into a relationship with her, is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: So, Miss Marsh, are you using Baby Tamari to trap Mr Reed?

Mr Reed knows me and him are. . .

Not gonna be in a relationship I've moved on since Mr Reed. I just want him to take care of Tamari. And so, Mr Reed, you say you don't believe Tamari.

. . Oh, she's so adorable!

Is your biological child. (MARSH CHUCKLING) JUDGE LAKE: You don't believe that? No, I don't, Your Honor.

Where'd you meet? REED: We met. .

. In Columbus, Ohio. But I lived in California.

JUDGE LAKE: Okay. I had just turned 18. JUDGE LAKE: Okay, so you met in Columbus, Ohio.

REED: Yes. So you all started dating? REED: No.

I flew back to California. It was a. .

. It was a long-distance relationship, Your Honor. So you were in a long-distance relationship online?

Yes, Your Honor. So, at what point does this relationship turn into a sexual, physical relationship. When I relocated to Columbus for work.

MARSH: Your Honor, um. . .

Taurence wrote me on Facebook telling me that he was coming for me. Like, coming to be in a relationship with me. MARSH: And then, when he get there, REED: Your Honor, that was.

. . MARSH: Everything was going good.

. . But he was acting like he was mad because I had a.

. . I had two kids before him.

That was before she. . .

WALKER: If he didn't come for a relationship with the child. Why did he, my granddaughter's third. .

. fourth birthday. Third or fourth birthday.

He didn't mind. The whole birthday. The whole birthday.

The shopping, the birthday party. Everything. Spent $1,000.

On toys. What man does that? And didn't spend another $1,000 on her birthday party.

Me. JUDGE LAKE: Wait a minute. You, you.

. . Threw a birthday party for her older child.

REED: I love children. I love children so I threw a birthday party for her. .

. Her oldest daughter, yes. All right, so.

. . In your mind, was this a relationship or.

. . She knew I was dating other women.

I never knew he was dating other women. On Taurence's birthday, he asked me to go on a trip with him to a resort with his family. When we get to Missouri, two women pop up at the hotel room.

And he said, "This is my wife. " And I said, "It's over. " Your Honor, on the way to the.

. . (SHOUTS) What?

REED: Your Honor, I told her. . .

Hold on, hold on now. I told her I was taking her to meet my wife. I was planning on.

. . I'm a Muslim, so I was planning on having four wives.

He's a fake Muslim, he's a wannabe Muslim. Well, let me understand this. JUDGE LAKE: Miss Marsh.

. . Man you'd been dating and seeing relocated to your town.

MARSH: Mmm-hmm. Says, "We're dating. I wanna take you on a vacation.

" Yeah. We have a time share in Missouri. WALKER: It doesn't matter what it is, you took her out of town.

And so you get to Missouri, and he says, "Let me introduce you to my wife? " Or did I say that before we got to Missouri? No, no, no, no.

I didn't tell you before we got to Missouri? No. JUDGE LAKE: Wait a minute, I have never heard of a man taking a woman on vacation to meet their wife.

MARSH: Exactly! Exactly! And then when we got there, Your Honor, the girl.

. . They was asking me like, "How do you know him?

" I'm like, "How do you know him? " She just met him. JUDGE LAKE: The wife?

Yes. (MARSH LAUGHS) She was the prospect. Just like Danielle was.

MARSH: I said, "You know what? " I'm gonna go back home. I have people in St.

Louis that could take me home. He said, "You're not going nowhere. " The reason I got upset is because her and the other person ruined my birthday.

MARSH: We got a. . .

(LAUGHS) They ruined my birthday. Mr Reed, you ruined your own birthday. WALKER: You ruined your birthday.

Mr Reed. No, you ruined my birthday. No, you ruined your birthday.

I just wanted to go home. Probably so. Bringing both.

. . Bringing 'em.

. . Ain't nobody ruined your birthday but you.

JUDGE LAKE: Mr Reed. . .

I should have went myself. Wait a minute. How far into this relationship did this happen?

He was down there for a month. JUDGE LAKE: And then this happened? Yeah.

In your mind, was this your boyfriend? MARSH: Yes. In my mind, he was my boyfriend.

Your Honor, no. He was talking about being with each other. Your Honor, no.

We've been talking about being with each other since I was 18, Your Honor. Your Honor, no. Because she got upset at me because I was down there two weeks before I even seen her.

He tellin' me, he in. . .

he love me. . .

I was down there two weeks. . .

And all kinds of stuff. He wanted to get married. What's wrong.

. . I didn't know nothing about him wanting four wives.

Really? I didn't. Really.

Come on, Miss Marsh. Cut it out. So you.

. . so you're.

. . It's your testimony, you informed her of your desire.

Yes, it is. MARSH: He's lying. My mother even said it.

She's like. . .

My mother addressed to her. . .

His mother said after I had Tamari. . .

When my mother addressed to her, she's like. . .

She's like, "Miss Marsh, my son told you. " "You knew my son was. .

. Wanted four wives. " Then I told his mother.

. . Now his mother supposed to be a Christian?

When his mom said that. . .

No, my mother's a Baptist. Okay, listen, listen. REED: Wow!

You got your. . .

Let Miss Marsh testify. Go ahead. MARSH: When his mom.

. . His mom.

. . We were downtown talking and his mom was like, "I thought he told you that he wanted four wives.

" I said, "No, your son didn't tell me. He tricked me. " So, it's a difference.

Your Honor, I can't. . .

I didn't know about no other wives until I got to St. Louis. Your Honor, how could I trick a grown woman?

Miss Walker, was it your understanding Mr Reed was your daughter's boyfriend at that time? Yes. JUDGE LAKE: You thought your daughter was dating a man.

He seemed to be a nice man. He gave the birthday party for the older child. Yes.

I mean, he came on to be a very nice person. I didn't see the other side of him until she announced that she was pregnant. I didn't see.

. . 'Cause.

. . He came on to be a very nice, strong person.

And Miss Marsh, when. . .

You're tears right now. What are you feeling? You just feel.

. . It's like, I've been knowing him since I was 18.

And this really hurt. This hurt. (SNIFFLES) And he wanna go travel state to state to have different babies and.

. . Make.

. . And find another wife.

And he get these women involved. And they write me. They tell me what he tells them.

His mom tells me what he tells them. Like he got everybody thinking something different. When he.

. . When he in love.

MARSH: With me. So what happened when you found out you were pregnant? Tell the court.

So, I found out I was pregnant, I called up Mr Reed, 'cause I felt sick. So, we went to the store and got a whole bunch of pregnancy tests. Then we went to the pregnancy center, we got a ultrasound.

MARSH: And then, later on, he had left. To go console a girl in California that was having a miscarriage. Um.

. . You knew this?

REED: Yes. MARSH: I knew afterward. She knew this young lady was down there.

In Columbus, Ohio, when I was down there. Actually, no. I didn't know.

. . Okay, so, me and him continued our relationship from after his birthday, 'cause he did all this apologizing.

I'm young, like, "Okay, he's fooling me. " MARSH: You tellin' me what I wanna hear. So, Mr Reed was driving a nice car, so, the police pulled us over.

That's when I found out about the other lady. Because what happened? MARSH: He told them his address and he said he lives with his girlfriend.

JUDGE LAKE: Okay, and how old are you? Um, I just turned 26 last year. And how old are you, Mr Reed?

I'm 40. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. (AUDIENCE GASPS) JUDGE LAKE: So you come and got this young girl.

And you sold her a whole bunch of dreams. REED: I didn't sell her nothing. MARSH: And I believed you.

. . She's told.

. . She's talking about what I'm doing.

But she have numerous men. REED: Yes, you do. Yes.

Are you serious? REED: Come on now. MARSH: Come on now, come on now.

Don't do that, baby. Don't do that, baby. Really?

You didn't have a dude. . .

Don't do that. . .

You didn't have a man when I came to Columbus? MARSH: Your Honor, me and a guy. .

. We had broke up two months prior to him coming down there. I broke up with him for Taurence.

That's what she claims. Mr Reed. That's what she claims.

I've been wanting to be with him since I was 18. REED: But she steady texting him and calling him. They steady.

. . There's drama and.

. . I never was texting or calling him.

We met him at the BMV and that was the last time you heard of him. REED: Yeah. But wait, what I don't understand is, is the baby is just a year old.

You said you met him when you was 18. MARSH: Yeah. So you've been running around with this, dealing with this for all these years?

REED: No. Your Honor, No. I didn't know he was like this.

I'd never stayed in Ohio. REED: We didn't start working on a relationship MARSH: Like I said, he. .

. At least six, seven years afterward. After you met.

REED: After we met. Okay, so then you started a relationship. That's when we start a relationship.

MARSH: But I thought. . .

But she already knew. . .

REED: California. . .

I stayed in California, I stayed in Chicago, I stay in Ohio. And Cincinnati. REED: So she already know.

. . JUDGE LAKE: Okay, wait a minute.

And you have girlfriends in all these places? I have companions, yes. And do you have companions in all these places?

Yes. (AUDIENCE GASPS) Did you accept during that time that she was carrying your child? Yes, I accepted it but.

. . I didn't.

. . I wasn't for sure it was mine.

He don't want responsibilities. Responsibilities? I'm the one taking care of her now.

JUDGE LAKE: You accepted it. . .

(WALKER EXCLAIMS) The only time. . .

The only time I don't take care of her, when we're not together. You don't take care of a child only if they're with the mother. REED: First of all, we're not even sure that the child is mine.

I'm just doin'. . .

I'm just doing my job as a man. Oh! Oh, your point is, is if I'm gonna be in a relationship with you, I'm gonna take care of your children, and your children.

REED: The whole package, exactly. But this child, you say you have doubt. Yes.

JUDGE LAKE: All right. Miss Marsh, what would you like to add? MARSH: Your Honor, when we were together, he didn't even take care of her.

Wow. Who pay your bills? Every time a bill due, he would leave.

And go to. . .

And go to Chicago. WALKER: And I'm a witness to this. I'm a witness to this.

Like, I'll be. . .

Like, "Oh, my gosh. What am I going to do? " (INDISTINCT ARGUMENT) Your Honor, but they said I threw the baby a party.

He disappeared. I threw 'em two grand. That was a whole year ago.

All right, one at a time. One at a time. So, at the point you inform him you are pregnant.

. . What happens?

Like, does he support you through this pregnancy? Was he at the hospital for Tamari's birth? BOTH: No!

MARSH: He got back with the girl, that was in Missouri. At the end of their relationship, I guess she was stalking my Facebook. So, she screenshotted him a picture of Tamari, he wrote me on Facebook, like, I wanna see my daughter.

WALKER: Mmm-hmm, he sure did. JUDGE LAKE: Did you send that message? Yeah, I went on Facebook and said I wanted to see her.

Your daughter. He said, "My daughter. " And at this time.

. . JUDGE LAKE: All right.

So what's interesting is that the Court also uncovered this on Facebook. REED: Yeah, that. .

. That was like. .

. JUDGE LAKE: So someone posted a picture of the baby, REED: Exactly. JUDGE LAKE: And said, congratulations on your new baby.

And Mr Reed, you responded. . .

"Don't be too quick to say that. " That's how I felt. MARSH: But wrote me that same day.

I don't know for sure. So what is your doubt exactly? Because you have not testified to this.

REED: Because every time she get angry with me, the first thing she do is say, "You're not the father. " "This other gentleman's the father, that she was sleeping with. " That's my doubt.

JUDGE LAKE: Miss Marsh. When you're angry with him, do you tell him this is not his baby? Because he's always trying to do something.

. . JUDGE LAKE: But that's yes?

Answer the question. Yes or no? JUDGE LAKE: But that is, yes?

And it only happened once, that I told him that. Three times, you just told me last time. It never happened three time.

Women just don't seem to understand that's a bell you can't unring. If you looked at him and said, "This is not your child," in an argument, there's gonna be doubt there. That's just the way it goes.

MARSH: But, Your Honor. I never asked. .

. him. .

. Or the guy that I had one night with. .

. I never. .

. And I ended up being in a relationship with. .

. The other guy. I never asked neither one of them for nothing.

Did you inform both of them that they were both potentially the father? Yes, I did. But the conception date match up to Mr Reed.

JUDGE LAKE: Let me grab my conception calculator. Tell me, when was Tamari born? MARSH: April 15th.

All right, April 15, 2016. MARSH: 2016. If we hit "Calculate," the conception date would be July 18th to July 23rd, 2015.

You're saying, you were not with this other guy. JUDGE LAKE: Until when? August 1st.

JUDGE LAKE: Until August 1st. Quick, huh? (SCOFFS) Move on fast.

MARSH: Well at that time, Mr Reed was doing so much, with all these different women that I was like. . .

I went out with my best friend and one thing led to another, we always liked each other, and it happened, and I let him know. JUDGE LAKE: So you told him, "Look, there was another guy. " It was a situation, but I assure you, you are Tamari's biological.

. . MARSH: They started stalking each other, him and the other guy.

Your Honor, I ain't never stalked another man in my life. JUDGE LAKE: So, Tamari is one year old. MARSH: Mmm-hmm.

Yes. JUDGE LAKE: How much of a relationship have you had with her, Mr Reed? REED: Well, I stayed with Miss Marsh for the last what.

. . Seven months?

So now, you back staying with her? REED: Nah, I left. I made you leave.

Whatever. She made me leave. It don't make no difference.

I'm not there no more. So she knows you as Daddy? REED: Yes.

JUDGE LAKE: So wait a minute, does Tamari recognize him as her dad? She says, "Hi, Dada," every time she see him. WALKER: And he was good with her.

And why would you go stay over there seven months? And you didn't know. .

. REED: Because I was. .

. Because I was trying to do the right thing. JUDGE LAKE: But if somebody's.

. . If you really believe somebody's trying to trap you you don't walk right on up into the trap.

Exactly. Really? JUDGE LAKE: So now, Miss Marsh.

What if for some reason, he is not Tamari's biological father? MARSH: It would hurt, but I know that's his daughter. Like my baby look.

. . She's light-skinned but she look just like him.

And you believe this is her biological father. I have the answers for you. Okay.

WALKER: I'm ready for 'em. These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics. And they read as follows.

JUDGE LAKE: In the case of Marsh v. Reed, when it comes to one-year-old Tamari Marsh, it has been determined by this court. .

. Mr Reed. You.

. . Are not the father.

(AUDIENCE GASPS) REED: Now, I feel like the goofy. I done went through all this. And, all the time.

. . All the time, I'm believing she knew this.

I didn't flew all the way down here. . .

JUDGE LAKE: Listen. . .

REED: To look like a goofy. And you should feel. .

. JUDGE LAKE: But no, listen. .

. Hold on. Hold on, Mr Reed.

Hold on. Hold on. Hold on now.

Now, Mr Reed, you were perfectly fine when she was one of many. Now you got a problem 'cause you was one of many. REED: No, I don't have a.

. . No!

No! No! JUDGE LAKE: Let me tell you something.

I don't have a problem with it at all. Let me tell you something. It doesn't feel good when the shoe is on the other foot.

So obviously, Miss Marsh, there is someone else. It's. .

. I know who the father is. Is it the person that you talked about Yes, it's the person I'm talking.

. . JUDGE LAKE: Does he wanna be a part of Tamari's life?

Um. . .

Well he has. . .

Ten kids, so. . .

He has how many? He has 10 other kids. (AUDIENCE GASPING) (REED CHUCKLING) So the man has 10 other kids?

Okay. (SIGHS) Ugh, all right. This is where we are.

You can't undo it now. All right? You can't undo it.

JUDGE LAKE: This entire situation. It can define you or it can refine you. You got two choices.

And I apologize. JUDGE LAKE: She said she apologizes. I heard her.

And so, can you just say. . .

Now, what's that about? REED: I heard her. I'm cool.

I won't address that, because. . .

The truth is, Mr Reed, I believe no matter what I say, you're gonna leave out here on a soap box like somebody did you wrong. But. .

. JUDGE LAKE: (SHOUTING) No, no, no! Nope, nope, nope, nope.

You thought you was weaving a web of wives, but you got a web of lies. And now, you got caught up in it. Now, you are not the biological father, but part of this mess, you've got to understand as a 40-year-old man, you made.

And so, in that moment, she was grown enough to say she apologizes and you guys can talk about it later. Oh, I'm wasting your time? You gotta go be with another one of your wives?

Your fake wives? JUDGE LAKE: Huh? You gotta go to another state?

It's possible. JUDGE LAKE: You gotta go to another state? One more.

. . Another one of your fake wives?

Or you got another paternity case? Don't play with me. REED: No, I don't have another.

. . Don't play with me.

It's possible. JUDGE LAKE: There you go, there you go. Don't play with me 'cause I see what you're doing.

But that's all right. Miss Marsh? Take care of that baby.

Oh, she will be. JUDGE LAKE: And I pray that you don't be out here halfway allegedly making any more. I wish you the best of luck.

MARSH: Thank you, Your Honor. Court is adjourned.