It turns out that NBA star Dwight Howard has a bone to pick with the mother of his son. According to Freesworld.com, the baller is suing his son's mother, Royce Reed, for $9.2 million dollars after she allegedly violated an injunction not to speak about the player in any public forum. What is most interesting is that the comments in question were made on an anonymous blog, Lipstickalley.com.

The comments shocked Free, a well-known personality formerly of BET's 106&Park. In comments on her website, Free had this to say: "I can see a gag order about child support, etc., no book writing, stay 100 feet away from him...but don't mention his name? Wow! "

The lawsuit claims that Reed made the following comments on the site:

– "[Dwight] hasn't seen his son in two months."
– "Why file an injunction if you have nothing to hide?"
– "But the bottom line is Dwight is a douchebag."

Royce Reed is a former dancer for the Orlando Magic. Their son is Braylon Joshua Robert Howard, born on Nov. 18, 2007. Howard and his attorneys seem to feel that Reed is using her status as the mother of Howard's child in order to promote her own fame. So, this injunction wasn't just about being bitter, it was likely a matter of Howard protecting his brand and keeping Reed from building hers. There are even reports that Reed was attempting to participate in a reality show called "NBA Wives." But to be an NBA wife, don't you actually have to be married to an NBA player?

Some are critiquing Dwight Howard for having a child out of wed-lock, in spite of his religious background. That's silly. I've never met Dwight, but most people I know claim that he is one of the kindest human beings they've ever met. We all make mistakes, and even I had a child at the age of 18. Since that time, I have my daughter and two adopted daughters, and there is no greater thrill than being a father. While many fathers work hard to do the right thing, there are some who do not spend time with their children. Such behavior is undignified and irresponsible, and I hope that Dwight is not one of those people. Simultaneously, it is not inconceivable that Ms. Reed has made it difficult for Dwight to be involved in the life of his son, since she clearly appears to be using her child for leverage in her personal problems with the player. It's sad when parents allow their petty disputes to cause irreversible suffering for their kids. All Star Games and Reality Show contracts mean nothing when your children have to spend the next 30 years in therapy.

Elliot Millner, a legal adviser for the Your Black World Coalition, explained the injunction in the following way: "This means that most likely there was some agreement between the parties in which Royce Reed(the mother of Howard's child) was probably given something in exchange for her promise to cease using Dwight Howard's name or likeness in any way, shape, or form. If it can be proven that she violated the injunction, then Dwight Howard has every right to sue her for that violation, and seeking damages."

At least Dwight can afford to do what's right for his child financially. There is a long list of entertainers and athletes now being forced to pay more child support than they can afford, and many men are in jail because they could not afford the payments. This system is both arcane and draconian and leads me to wonder when we got away from using the courts to facilitate family bonds and instead started using them to create debtor's prisons. The child support system should be adjusted to enhance collection efforts for children and to provide remedies for estranged parents to be involved with their children should they choose to do so.

In terms of Dwight Howard and Royce Reed, it is my hope that they can get past their own petty differences and do what is best for the child. I can't imagine Dwight's son being happy that his mother has been sued for nearly $10 million dollars over a blog entry. That's just not cool.



Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.