‘The Challenge’s Tony Demands Custody Of Daughter After Madison Gives Up Rights
Tony Raines is following through with his promise to fight for his daughter. After baby mama Madison Channing Walls gave up custody of Harper to her parents amid drug relapse rumors, The Challenge: Vendettas star is asking to be appointed joint managing conservator of the 2-year-old, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
In court papers obtained from Travis County District Court, Raines filed a counter-petition to adjudicate parentage on September 20, 2018.
He claimed Harper has “no presumed, acknowledge or adjudicated father.”
The purpose of the counter-petition is to “establish the parent-child relationship between Charles Anthony Raines and the child the subject of this suit and the initial proceeding.” He is open to genetic testing if necessary.
He claims it is in the best interest of the child that he be appointed joint managing conservator with the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child.
He also requests the court appoint an attorney to represent Harper, as her interests are “not adequately represented.”
The custody battle started when Walls’ parents Cally and Michael Shapshak asked the court to grant them sole custody of Harper.
In Walls’ response to the petition, filed on July 13, 2018, she wrote, “I want my parents to have custody of my daughter.”
In Raines’ response, he denied that appointing him and Walls, 27, as managing conservators would not be in the best interest of Harper.
“Respondent also specifically denies the allegation that it is in the best interest of the child that Petitioners, the child’s grandparents, be appointed sole managing conservators of the child,” the papers read.
Fans speculated Walls, who once dated Teen Mom 2 star Javi Marroquin, relapsed on heroin after she appeared gaunt in a now-deleted Instagram post. She also appeared to have track marks on the inside of her arm.
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But Walls’ mother denied the drug rumors exclusively to RadarOnline.com.
“She’s doing great,” she said. “Nothing is wrong. She’s fine. No she’s not on drugs.”
She added of the custody filing, “The conservatorship is because it’s our family raising Harper. Tony isn’t involved. We just want to protect her. He does post about her a lot on social media, especially for someone not on the birth certificate.”
On Instagram live, Raines, 30, told his side of the story.
“If a mother is not capable or signs her rights over and is not going to raise her child then the father deserves that opportunity,” he said. “That’s an opportunity I would love to have and that’s why I’m fighting and going to court.”
He added of Walls’ parents fighting for custody, “Cally believes Harper should be with them and I think she should be with me. They think I’m not the better option, probably because they have a lot more money than I do. I think Harper would rather be with me and her sister full-time than walk around with a Coach purse.”
Raines is also father to daughter Isla with girlfriend Alyssa Giacone.
Stay with RadarOnline.com for more on the custody battle.
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