Kidd's wife accuses Nets star of 'serial infidelity' and abuse
Updated 2/16/2007 7:18 PM ET
By Jeffrey Gold, The Associated Press
NEWARK — The estranged wife of Jason Kidd has charged that the New Jersey Nets All-Star guard physically abused her and cheated on her throughout their 10-year marriage.
In responding to divorce papers Jason Kidd filed last month, Joumana Kidd asserted that her husband's "numerous liaisons and perpetual physical and emotional abuse" led to the breakdown of their marriage.

Jason Kidd's lawyer said Friday that the "bizarre allegations will be proven false."

In answering her husband's divorce petition, Joumana Kidd requested that they be given joint legal custody of their three children, but that the children live with her. She also seeks child support, alimony and monetary compensation for the injuries and trauma she suffered.

Joumana Kidd's petition, filed Thursday in state superior court for Bergen County, said she was the victim of "recurring physical abuse and serial infidelity." They had been living together in Saddle River.

The 27-page document related a series of alleged attacks in which Jason Kidd punched, kicked or choked her, once giving her a concussion by striking her with a candlestick.

Jason Kidd's lawyer, Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich, in a statement, called the filing "retaliatory and gratuitously nasty."

"It contains a fantastical array of information that is exaggerated, manipulated or just plain fabricated," Marzano-Lesnevich said.

She filed a response Friday in which Jason Kidd denies all the allegations of abuse and unfaithfulness.

Joumana Kidd, in her filing, charged that her husband was unable to restrain his violent urges and was "habitually unfaithful" even after committing himself to Christianity in November 2004.

She said he has admitted to affairs with numerous women "including strippers in Arizona, Sacramento, Miami, Dallas and Indiana," as well as a Nets season-ticket holder, a Nets employee, a cheerleader in New Orleans, and women named "Petra" and "Lisa," according to her filing.

As part of his repeated efforts to apologize, Jason Kidd bought his wife a $585,000 pink diamond ring in March 2004 and a $555,000 diamond pendant in June 2004, according to Joumana Kidd's court papers.

Despite their difficulties, Joumana Kidd said she was stunned by his divorce filing, asserting they had recently discussed renewing their marriage vows and buying a vacation home in Mexico.

She also charged that Jason Kidd had "virtually no relationship" with their children until 2005, and remained "extraordinarily self-absorbed and narcissistic," often abandoning the family for days on end to play golf.

Joumana Kidd also claimed that her husband "often drinks and gambles to excess when out with friends and teammates."

The couple separated in November. Jason Kidd last assaulted his wife Dec. 28 at an apartment he took in Saddle River, pressing his forearm against her neck, causing her to lose her breath, according to Joumana Kidd's filing.

Joumana Kidd said that her husband has since moved and will not tell her where.

Her lawyer, Raoul Lionel Felder, said they failed in an effort to have her papers sealed to protect the family's privacy.

"She is sad that it had to come to this, and she is disappointed that it could not have been handled in a more gracious and private manner," he said in a statement.

In his amended divorce filing last month, Jason Kidd cited irreconcilable differences, and charged that his wife physically and emotionally abused him for the past decade. He filed days after a new state law permitted no-fault divorce, which allows couples to dissolve their marriage in six months if they cite irreconcilable differences. Previously, state law required couples wait 18 months.

Jason Kidd had cited extreme cruelty in his initial filing.

The Kidds, who were married in 1997, were involved in a domestic-violence matter six years ago when he was playing for the Phoenix Suns.

In that incident, Jason Kidd was arrested in January 2001 after his wife told police he slapped her in the face during an argument about feeding their son, who is now 8. The couple also has 4-year-old twin daughters.

Kidd pleaded guilty to spousal abuse, was fined $200 and ordered to take anger management training.

Never hit your wife.

Ahhh a worthy corrollary:

Never slap a woman who's chewing tobacco.

From the tagline of charlie157 over at the NYTimes site

Don't forget earlier

Kidd claims wife mistreated their children:Daily News Wire Services

Jason Kidd, who for years has blown kisses to his wife before each free throw, filed a domestic-violence complaint yesterday accusing her of mistreating their children.

"It has been painful for Jason Kidd to watch the effect of his wife's behavior on their children," said Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich, a lawyer representing the New Jersey Nets point guard.

Lesnevich would not comment further or discuss the details of the complaint, filed yesterday in the domestic violence division of state Superior Court in Hackensack.

Police in Saddle River - where Kidd lives with his wife, Joumana, and their three children in the Burning Hollow section - said they haven't received any recent complaints or written any reports on any domestic-related matters from the home.

While playing in Phoenix for the Suns, Kidd was arrested in January 2001 after his wife called police and reported that he had hit her during an argument over their son, Trey Jason (T.J.), who was 2 at the time.

Kidd later pleaded guilty to spousal abuse and was fined $200. He was also ordered to take anger management counseling. His record later was expunged.

Jason and Joumana Kidd have been married for 10 years and have three children - T.J. and twins Miah and Jazelle.

This has to be the reason why Jason went up his wife's head before?

Could be a case of a man protecting his kids. Wow

Someone is lying bigtime, kidd filed domestic violence 1ST since moving to NJ