Yesterday, exs Libby and Brian didn't even
make it passed where I'm standing right now
because I refuse to allow them onstage.
They were dead set on throwing each other under the bus,
and more interested in presenting stacks of evidence
against each other than putting their children first.
I did not think they were ready to have
an honest conversation with me.
Will that change today?
I don't know, but here's what happened yesterday.
(dramatic music)
I've lived everyday for the last six years in hell
having been abandoned by my kids.
I've watched Libby teach these kids
that I'm abusive, controlling, angry,
but there's no evidence of that.
Brian constantly accuses me of alienating the children.
It's his fault.
Brian intimidates me and is bullying me.
Brian has been physical.
One time, he pinned my oldest daughter, Anna,
up against the wall and threw her out the door.
I live in fear.
What do y'all think about what you're
saying about each other?
It's hateful.
It's not accurate.
There's a number of things on there that are not accurate.
I pinned Anna against the wall?
Why are you keeping score so much?
Why are you guys playing this tit-for-tat game,
if all you want is a unified family?
I didn't hear you say, or you say,
what can I do different to come out
with a different outcome?
You guys could be right-fighters,
or you can look for a solution.
I'm gonna give you guys a chance to think about that,
and you will or you won't.
My dad's anger towards my mom consumes his life.
When I stand up for my mom,
he gets hostile and abusive.
Right now, I have no relationship with my dad.
I haven't spoken to him in probably six months.
My dad has, basically, excommunicated me from his life.
What did you think about what I had to say to them?
There's been years of this blame game,
and not taking responsibility for actions.
This has taken a toll on you, has it not?
Yeah, I grew up really close to my dad,
and I haven't had a relationship with him
for seven years now.
Your mother is passive aggressive.
Yeah.
She's driving him nuts.
And he goes for it every time.
He's been physical with you.
Right.
And you.
One time, I met her at the door wouldn't
let her in the house.
I shoved passed him,
and he then pinned me up against the wall by my neck,
and then, threw me out onto the concrete stairs.
One time, I disobeyed him,
and as I brushed passed him to get out of the door,
he punched me in the throat.
I punched him in the chest.
Do either one of you think you're betraying your mother
if you have a healthy relationship with your father?
Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
Are you prepared to tell her you want to have
a relationship with him,
if he behaves himself?
Oh yeah.
Absolutely.
Okay, did we catch how they spent their time?
Yes.
Not very productively.
Let me see.
This is what you do with the kids.
You bring them into all of this.
"He's just such a jerk, and he won't cooperate."
When, in fact, it's you that's not cooperating.
Yet, you twist it all around to the kids
that I'm such an ass.
Brian, you won't even work with me.
You have said you're hostile,
you're aggressive. No, no.
And you have zero responsibility for anything that you do.
This is how they spent that time?
C'mon.
You were fighting over where you live,
a court order concerning the children's pick up times,
you accusing her of bad-mouthing you.
Tell me how that leads to unifying this family.
I'm to the point now, after all these years
that I'm just damn frustrated.
I went from being, in her words, a phenomenal dad
to being the family abuser overnight.
Uh-uh.
What do you want to happen?
I want my children to have a relationship
with both of their parents, and not feel guilty.
Have you sabotaged their relationship with him?
No.
You made it difficult for him to have
visitation with them.
No, not at all.
Did you block communication
with him for six months?
Yes.
How is that not sabotaging their relationship?
He's still there without his children,
he's still there feeling his children
are alienated from him.
You play into her hands.
You overshadow everything she does with
your outrageous behavior.
Both of you, you're doing really sabotaging things
and your kids are paying the price.
Come on.
Let's go out there and do something different.
(dramatic music)