[dramatic music playing] Please be seated. -Hello, Your Honor.
-Hello. This is the case
of Reynolds versus Fleetion. Thank you, Jerome.
Good day everyone. [audience] Good day. Ms. Reynolds,
you claim you have known since the day
your daughter was born, Mr. Fleetion
is her biological father. You are here
with your daughter, hoping when today's results
reveal the truth, it will help build
that father-daughter bond she has always dreamed of,
is that correct? -Yes, Your Honor.
-Mr. Fleetion, you say, you have no recollection
of ever having an intimate relationship
with Ms. Reynolds, and therefore,
it is impossible for you to be her daughter's
biological father, -is that correct?
-Yes, Your Honor. So, Ms. Reynolds,
what was the nature of your relationship
with the defendant? We didn't have a relationship,
I met him at a, uh, -sex toy party, and he was the--
-[audience gasps] he was the stripper. -He was the entertainment?
-[Reynolds] And-- yes. -[Keasia] Teddy bear.
-[Reynolds] Yes. And you know, we didn't have
any, uh, action at that time, but maybe a week later,
we were at a popular club in our city, and, um, he was there and he was dancing,
not entertaining. Just dancing. And, um, I was there, and I actually did
my mating call. -[rolls tongue]
-[Fleetion laughs] -[Reynolds] Yes.
-[Fleetion laughs] [Judge Lake] And how did that
make you feel, Jerome? -I was running over there.
-[laughter] Exactly. Exactly. [Jerome] Okay. [applause continues] So, when you were at the club,
you hit that note-- [Reynolds] I did.
Maybe a couple of nights later, or maybe a week or so, he gave me a call, after hours,
booty calling hours. [audience murmurs] And, um, he said
he was gonna come through, and he did, he slid through. Okay. [Reynolds]
Maybe about five times, I can remember three exactly, that he came over to my home,
booty calling hours. I didn't know nothing
about this man, as far
as what was his favorite color. We never dated, you know,
we didn't go out or anything like that,
it was always booty call. So Mr. Fleetion, do you remember
sleeping with Ms. Reynolds? No, ma'am,
I have no recollection of ever having a sexual encounter
with Ms. Mary. But I'm unforgettable. [audience gasps] Well, do you remember
her mating call? Hit that one more time. [rolls tongue] [laughter] Do you remember
hearing that one night? [laughs] No, ma'am. So, you don't remember being intimate
with Ms. Reynolds at all? -No, ma'am.
-[female in audience] Aw. I was dating
one of her daughter's friends. And she recognized me. And I'm sorry,
no disrespect, babe, no disrespect. But like I say,
today I'm here to find out if I'm Keasia's
biological father. [Keasia grunts] So the court was able
to obtain photos of each of you
from back in the day. Take a look at the picture,
Mr. Fleetion of Ms. Reynolds. Do you remember a woman
look like that? [Fleetion]<i> No, ma'am.</i> Have you ever
had sex with somebody, and then didn't remember it? I remember
all my sexual encounters. [audience murmurs] [Reynolds] Hmm. So can you take me
to the moment when you found out
you were pregnant, Ms. Reynolds. Well, when I became pregnant,
I was with my ex at that time. Because we were on and off.
And at the time that I had an encounter with Mose,
me and my ex was off. And, um, we had gotten
back together, so, um, the whole time I just knew
that I was pregnant for my ex. Until the baby was born. She came out Snow White
without the dwarves, okay? [Fleetion laughs] With these
green brownish color eyes, <i> sandy brown hair, and I said,
"Oh, my God."</i> -[audience]<i> Aw.</i>
-[Keasia laughs] -For the first nine months...
-[Judge Lake] Look beautiful. ...of her life, I didn't even take pictures,
I didn't want no one to see her. I kept her covered up. And if I went out in public,
"Let me see your baby." <i> "No, she covered up,
nope, she's asleep."</i> <i> I wouldn't let no one see her.</i> [Judge Lake]<i>
Because you were...</i> I had already convinced my ex that this was his child. And, uh, we moved on,
he was okay with it. And I was okay with it,
but I knew. But you know
that skin color varies. -[Reynolds] Yes.
-And people wanna base so much on the color of the skin
of the baby. -[Reynolds] Mm-hmm.
-When you know genetics <i> can bring us</i> <i> -a rainbow of shades.</i>
-[Reynolds]<i> Yes.</i> <i> And that's how I was able
to convince my ex,</i> because he had some, you know,
lighter complexion or mixed family members,
and so do I. So, that's why
I was so convincing -at that particular time--
-Ah, so you used the very argument
and the very fact that gave you doubt, you used them
to convince your ex. I did. [Judge Lake]
But Mr. Fleetion, you had no idea
about the pregnancy, or Keasia being born? [Fleetion] No, Your Honor. [Judge Lake] You all had just
fallen out-- uh, um, well, you don't even remember,
so I don't know -why I'm asking you.
-[laughter] So, Ms. Reynolds, at some point,
you all had just parted ways, or just-- it was-- it was
a casual booty call thing, and then,
you just stopped calling-- Yeah. And that's it. Yes. He went to calling
some other booty-- So, when's the next time
you connect with Mr. Fleetion? [Reynolds] Um, the next time
I connected with him would have been
when Keasia was 12 years old. She was at, um,
my daughter's friend's house. Babysitting. And I didn't know
that the daughter's friend was dating Mose at that time. If you want more episodes
of Paternity Court Make sure to subscribe
and click on
the notification bell. She's had taken a picture
of Keasia and Mose together, the young lady. -[Fleetion laughs]
-So, my daughter brought it to me. And I laughed it off, and I was,
you know, just laughed it off, and I didn't say anything. But after a while,
it clicked to me. Oh, my God.
Because if it's that noticeable, he have kids out here. What if she end up
dating someone that could possibly
be her brother. I need to contact him. And I told him, it's something
that we need to talk, not on Facebook,
not on the phone, but in person. And he actually finally came
to my house, and we talked about it,
and I told him that Keasia could possibly
be his child. And he said, he didn't remember
sleeping with me. And at that moment,
I said, "Oh, well, you know, so, uh, taking it to my grave."
At that point. So, you basically
were telling him -to protect your daughter.
-[Reynolds] Exactly. And once he said
I don't even remember you, you just said, "You know what?
I'm taking it to my grave." My ex has bought in to the fact <i> that he is
her biological father.</i> [Reynolds]<i> Yes.</i> [Judge Lake]<i> Just leave
well enough alone.</i> -[Reynolds]<i> Yes. Yes.</i>
-[Judge Lake]<i> This is done.</i> So, Keasia, I wanna ask you. Because this is very difficult
to hear, this is not easy. Can you tell the court, who were you told all your life
your father was? Who were you told? The guy on my birth certificate. My mom's ex. But he was never in my life, and he always lied to me,
say he was busy. I mean, I always wanted
a father in my life, from watching my sisters
grow up with they father. You know,
going just to spelling bees, and walking up to the bus stop,
make sure they get on the bus. You know, picking them up
from the bus stop, that type of stuff. [Fleetion]
Your Honor, may I speak? If by chance Keasia
is my biological daughter, if I would have knew back then, she would have a totally
different lifestyle, totally different. [Judge Lake]
And Mr. Fleetion, I can tell how emotional
this makes you, I see the tears in your eye,
what's moving you so much? Her. [exhales] Can you put it into words? Since I met Keasia
for the last six months, I've been there. She call. I'm not busy. I'm there. Her birthday party... I was there. I've been there since, you know, the last six months
since I found out. Can you tell me,
how did you reconnect? How did you go from saying,
"I don't even remember a relationship with her mother" to reconnecting
and establishing such a bond? What did I miss? [Fleetion exhales]
I was walking out of a... a clothing store. She was going
into the clothing store. And... I just see myself in her. [Reynolds] Mm. Hmm. And I stepped to her, and I said... [laughs] "I look like-- you look like
you could be my baby." [audience coos] And I guess she went back home
to her mom. And... And told her who she met. When he said that,
I can see you're emotional, too, Keasia, what did that feel like? I felt confused a little bit because, you know,
I never had nobody as a father in my life. And I got kids of my own. I want them to grow up
with a grandfather, and basically, going down
the right road, and not the wrong road. So, Mr. Fleetion,
why didn't you take the opportunity at 12? Because I didn't remember
Ms. Mary. I didn't remember an encounter of having sex with Ms. Mary. So, how could I possibly have
a daughter-- But it's like,
you still don't remember it. And yet you've gone up
to Keasia, and say you look like my baby, and now you got this
whole relationship with her. Uh, I don't know.
I'm missing something. I'm not that man
I used to be back then, you know?
Um, I've been through a lot through that time,
I was ordained Minister, you know. So... how can I get out in here
and preach to somebody if I don't have my house
in order? So if it's a possibility that I slept with Ms. Mary
and I created a daughter, I need to know. [applause] I'm a disabled veteran. She could go to college
for free, you know? [applause] [Judge Lake]
Thank you for your service. [Fleetion]
Right. You're welcome. And with all of that, you know you wouldn't be able
to get back the last 20 years? No, ma'am. [Judge Lake]
But your point is... I wanna make the next 20
better than the last. [Fleetion] Yes, ma'am. [applause] And why does that
bring tears to your eyes? Because my baby right now
wouldn't be having three kids. Single mom. She would be in the college
or military right now, if I was there. And I want her to know
that I'm sorry. But I'm here now. Is there anything
you'd like to say, Keasia? Would you like to say something
to Mr. Fleetion? Uh, I appreciate you a lot for being there for me
and my kids. Showing me to the family. And I just hope
that you are my father, because I want my kids
to have a grandfather, you know. -I'm already Papa.
-And, um, I want us... [audience] Aw. I just--
I wanna have him in my life. [Reynolds] And I feel like, that would be a good thing
because she has so many male abandonment issues. And she'd made
so many bad choices in men, you know, during her lifetime. And that weighs on you, Mom... -[Reynolds] It does.
-...because you feel like -you had a part to play in that.
-It does. I see your tears. [Reynolds]
Everybody make mistakes. The thing is,
if you don't learn from it, it's not a mistake. And... I... I... made this choice
to take it to my grave, when actually, you know-- Uh, it was just so many lives
that are affected behind this skeleton. Hmm. [Reynolds]
There's so many lives. Not just hers, mine, his, the other, the ex,
their family, you know, my family, a lot of lives
are affected behind this. [Judge Lake] You... have explained... the phenomenon... that is paternity doubt,
secrets, question, and you've explained
why we do this every day. -[Reynolds sniffles]
-[Judge Lake] So many lives. I want you all to be able
to get to the phase of healing. And I don't think
we can do that until we get the truth. Jerome,
may I have the envelope, please? [Jerome] Yes, Your Honor. [applause] These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics. And they read as follows. In the case
of Reynolds versus Fleetion. When it comes to... twenty-year-old
Keasia Reynolds... It has been determined
by this court, Mr. Fleetion, you... are not the father. [audience] Aw. [Reynolds] It's okay. [Judge Lake]
I'm very sorry, Keasia. [sniffles] -Are you okay, baby?
-[Fleetion exhales] Hey, baby. -Can I?
-[Judge Lake] Yes, of course. [Fleetion]
I'll be here anyway, baby. [Fleetion]
I will always be here. I was here, and I didn't know,
all right? -All right.
-Mm-hmm. -Ms. Mary.
-I'm sorry. -You okay, honey?
-Yes, ma'am. I wanna say this to you
because you've been so strong. And I appreciate your strength. I admire you for it. But I do wanna let you know, that it is okay to express what you really feel. Because at the end of the day,
this is about you. And this is for you. You gonna be okay. And we're here for you. And this is just the first step. We have many more to take. I need to ask your mother. Do you know
who her biological father is? It would be my ex. -Do you know where he is?
-Yes. [Judge Lake] I am going
to ask you to have the courage, to have that very uncomfortable
conversation with him. You never got the facts. And we are here for you to do the testing, -should you need it.
-Okay. [Judge Lake]
As my mom used to say "Well, ain't nothing to it
but to do it." -[Fleetion] Mm-hmm.
-Thank you. [Judge Lake]
Hey, that's what we do. That's why we do it, for this beautiful
young girl like this. And Dr. Jeff is standing by. And I really want you
to talk to him. Okay? -Yes, ma'am.
-[Judge Lake] Okay. I wish you all the very best. And usually I hope
I never see you again. But in this instance,
I hope I see you soon. -Okay.
-[Judge Lake] Okay? -Thank you.
-[Judge Lake] All right. Court is adjourned.
