SERENA Williams’ elderly father – who was warned by a doctor not to drive – was caught speeding and fined.
Richard Williams, known as “King Richard”, was stopped in a new silver Volkswagen pickup truck by police in Palm Beach, Florida on July 12.
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According to new court documents, he was going 44 mph in a 35 mph zone that was timed by a police laser gun.
US Sun has reached out to Richard’s family for comment.
The traffic violation is costing him $131, but he will not need to appear in court, the lawsuit states.
This comes after his recent problems preparing for the process before calling off the divorce.
Serena and Venus’ father reunited with his ex-wife Lakeisha, 45, and they saved their Florida home as she managed to pay off a $436,000 debt.
It is not known who led the project, but Richard’s son, Chavoita LeSane, insists it was not his father.
The property is where Serena and Venus grew up and trained with their father before becoming international sports stars.
Richard filed for divorce from Lakeisha in 2017, seven years after marrying the former stripper.
Surprisingly, the couple got back together despite years of court battle, and Lakeisha’s lawyer claimed they are back in a “romantic and sexual relationship” after calling off their divorce.
This was thought to be the end of the drama between the couple – but now Richard has fallen foul of the police.
His primary care physician, Dr. Monica Walker, previously wrote a letter to the courts a few years ago explaining her assessment of his mental capacity — and specifically stated his problems driving a car.
She wrote: “You had problems with direction and instructions. We discussed this and you stated that you now have a driver.
WEDDING MEETING
“Time, place and the person’s understanding have not been part of their memory difficulty. However, driving requires quick decisions in uncertain situations.
“It is advisable not to drive because you do not have the capacity to do so.”
Despite Dr. Walker’s plea, Richard has been seen on Lakeisha’s Instagram taking her and her 12-year-old son Dylan around in recent years.
His family also told The US Sun that he usually drives his son to school every day.
Chavoita insists his father is in good health, despite court records, and is well enough to drive.
In October 2019, a deposition by Richard was canceled after the court received 168 pages of medical records relating to a July 2016 hospitalization for two strokes.
Previously, another deposition had been abandoned midway as Richard’s responses were so incoherent that even his own lawyer said, “I’m not sure how we’re going to proceed, I think we’re going to cut the deposition short.”
Dr. Walker’s letter not only discussed his driving, but also how his strokes had affected his “brain function,” which his son insists has improved in recent years.
Walker wrote at the time: “As you well know, you suffered damage to brain tissue during a stroke. Complications after the stroke included inability to remember things that happened recently and incidents that happened years ago.
“You will remember, immediately after the stroke, your muscles weakened and little by little you managed to regain your strength. You also have trouble speaking and finding the right word to use.
“You have recovered from your word formation problems. However, he has not recovered from what is called dementia.
“Their ability to perform domestic business transactions, such as writing checks, paying bills and keeping records, has been lost.
“Sometimes you still find it difficult to use the right words. This is all part of cerebrovascular diseases and strokes.
Richard and Lakeisha Divorce Timeline
Photo credit: Getty
Richard Williams has wanted to finalize his divorce from Lakeisha Graham for years, but the case has dragged on amid a fight over the marital home.
The couple married in 2010, when Lakeisha was 32 and Richard was 69.
Williams is an active father to his son, Dylan, known as Junior, and has tried to maintain a good relationship with his ex despite the court case.
May 2017
- Richard filed for divorce from Lakeisha after seven years of marriage. He alleged in his complaint that she had forged her name on a deed transfer to his home and stolen his Social Security checks.
March 2020
- Court documents revealed excerpts from Lakeisha’s testimony, in which she admits to having forged her ex’s signature and also selling her 1999 Bluebird Wanderlodge Motor Coach, worth US$45,000. But she claimed she did it because he had starved her and her son, which her legal team denied.
February 2022
- Lakeisha told a judge that her stepdaughter Serena wanted to keep her out of the family home. She claimed a letter from the tennis star’s lawyers “threatening to change the locks” if she did not vacate the property. His legal team at the time did not respond to requests for comment.
June 2022
- Richard filed a $1 million lawsuit against Lakeisha, despite her claiming in court documents that they had reconciled and were sleeping together again, which he later denied.
July 2022
- Their home was valued at $1.45 million and was supposed to be auctioned, but Lakeisha filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy and put the sale on hold. The bankruptcy case was dismissed on July 5, but she filed for reinstatement claiming she had found money for a repayment plan. She was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt after taking out a huge loan from a lender and failing to repay it.
January 2023
- The US Sun caught up with Richard for a world exclusive interview, in which he accused former stripper Lakeisha of “taking everything” and spending his money. Asked how he feels about the split, he said: “I just want a divorce. It’s been six years, man. Just a bunch of rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. [I’m] I’m tired of this rubbish now.” But he appeared no closer to finalizing the process and his case was dismissed by a judge.
August 2023
- It was revealed that Lakeisha was struggling to stick to her repayment plan as she fought to keep the house, where she allegedly lived, despite it needing extensive repairs.
April 2024
- Richard missed the hearing and testimony because he suffers from speech problems due to strokes and did not want to be misunderstood. As a result, he had the case dropped, but planned to file again. Lakeisha tried for months to keep the house from being sold at auction by filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy three times, but each attempt failed.
July 2024
- Richard’s son, Chavoita, confirms that he is no longer seeking a divorce and that the two are “happy” following their reconciliation. This comes days after she somehow managed to clear her $436,000 debt to save her former marital home from auction.
“When I spoke to you about legal matters and your level of judgment during any domestic or business transactions, you stated that you were unable to perform any business-related tasks.
“You stated that your wife took care of all household matters because you are easily confused.
“His mental state since his first stroke includes loss of recent and remote memory and increased confusion during periods of increased demand for concentration.”
Richard’s fragile condition has contributed to the problems he has suffered in recent years regarding his home.
Lakeisha admitted to forging her signature on the deed to her four-bedroom mansion to take out a $279,000 loan from lender David Simon.
Richard’s serious health problems first came to light during Lakeisha’s lawsuit with Simon, who demanded repayment of her huge loan.
At one point, his debt reached $600,000 in legal fees and interest.
It looked like the house would have to be sold at auction two weeks ago, but at the last minute the debt was paid in full to Simon – and now the case is closed.
For years, Chavoita expressed fears that Lakeisha was taking advantage of her father — selling his cars behind his back and allegedly cashing social security checks.
He revealed that he is now building bridges with Lakeisha for the sake of the family, but she won’t be able to make the same mistake again.
Richard signed a nine-page power of attorney that gives Chavoita full control of his assets – including property and bank accounts.
Lakeisha is living with her husband in a four-bedroom house that is in Serena’s name – but there is no way for Lakeisha to gain control of it as she would have to go through Serena and Chavoita.
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