Exclusive
LAND FIGHT
Drone footage of Serena Williams’ crumbling childhood home shows eerie cars, algae pond & huge scale of embattled plot
Richard Williams dismissed his divorce last month but is still fighting for his home
NEW aerial footage of Serena and Venus Williams' dilapidated childhood home - which their father is still fighting for - shows abandoned cars, an algae pond, and piles of trash.
"King" Richard Williams is still locked in a multi-year legal battle with his estranged wife, Lakeisha, over their marital home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
8
8
8
8
Her attempt to keep hold of the property looks to be in vain - as her main creditor is now demanding the sale to pay back her colossal $620,000 debt.
She previously admitted in court documents that she forged Richard's signature and transferred the deed into her name as she struggled financially to care for their child.
The home is worth $1.4 million and has been in the Williams family since 1995 when Richard purchased it with Serena and Venus' mom Oracene for $355,000.
Drone footage shows the vast amount of land Richard has been fighting for as Lakeisha has tried three times to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection.
READ MORE on Richard Williams
A pond can be seen with algae floating in it, which does not appear to have been maintained, surrounded by grass and small trees.
There is also an abandoned tennis court where former coach Richard would teach his daughters as children.
Richard's son, Chavoita Lesane, previously told The U.S. Sun he believed Lakiesha was living in an outhouse on the property, as the main home needed to be renovated.
But video and photographs show it looking deserted, with only old abandoned vehicles and no sign of children's toys for their son, 11-year-old Dylan.
Most read in The US Sun
In a shock move last month, Richard's divorce from his ex was dismissed after a seven-year court battle.
Chavoita, 51, told The U.S. Sun it was because he's "terrified" of legal proceedings due to speech problems caused by multiple strokes.
Serena Williams' stepmom was a stripper in Miami who King Richard's son didn't want him to marry before divorce
He alleged his dad wanted to refile and hoped to be fully prepared for any deposition or court appearance.
But in a twist, Lakesiha's lawyer insisted they are still in a "romantic and sexual relationship."
Attorney Sara Lawrence said, "Richard Dove Williams and his wife Lakeisha Williams have a son and are raising him together. They are a family. Lakeisha works and Richard often takes care of their son.
"Lakeshia and Richard Williams have a romantic and sexual relationship. With their son, they are a family. They live together. They go on family trips to Disney together."
Why Richard's house battle is still not resolved
By The U.S. Sun assistant exclusives editor Katy Forrester who has been following the case for the past few years and flew to Florida to speak with Richard Williams.
Richard Williams filed for divorce back in May 2017 after seven years of marriage. He claimed in his initial petition that she had forged his name on a deed transfer for their home and stole his Social Security checks.
Shockingly, Lakeisha admitted forging his signature but claimed she did so as he had left her and their young son to starve, which his legal team denied at the time.
Lakeisha told a judge that her stepdaughter Serena wanted to lock her out of the family home. She claimed a letter from the tennis star's lawyers "threatened to change the locks" if she did not vacate the property. Her legal team did not respond to requests for comment.
The dispute over the house has been one of the main reasons the divorce dragged on so long, while Lakeisha also tried to get it dismissed claiming they were sleeping together again some years ago.
The U.S. Sun flew to Florida to sit down with Richard for a world-exclusive interview in which he accused ex-stripper Lakeisha of "taking everything" and blowing his cash.
Asked how he felt about the split, he said, "I just want a divorce. It's been six years, man. Just a bunch of junk, junk, junk. [I'm] so tired of that junk now."
But despite his son claiming he still wants a divorce and wants to save the house, he did not turn up to a recent court hearing and a judge agreed to dismiss the case.
It seems to me Serena and Venus do not want any part in their dad's marital issues now, and nobody wants to pay off Lakeisha's debts to try and save the home.
I fear it will be sold off at auction in the coming months, but divorce could still be years away as he's yet to re-file and is believed to be back in a relationship with Lakeisha.
Richard's son previously confirmed his dad does not live at the main family home he is fighting for and instead resides in a smaller property bought by Serena for $815,000 in June 2015.
All on one floor, it has four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and over 4,160 square feet of space.
At his former home, photographs show trash strewn around, abandoned vehicles including a blue Mini Cooper and a gray sedan, and discarded furniture piled up outside an open garage.
Richard and Lakeisha were previously called to testify in court about the house and the situation has still not been resolved.
It sits on a 10.36 acre lot and the main house offers four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.
8
8
8
At the time, the home needed many repairs on the roof, dirty rooms, and an AC unit, to name a few.
In addition, the main house and grounds were rooting.
In his initial divorce petition, Richard accused Lakeisha of also stealing his Social Security checks and forging his signature to take ownership of numerous vehicles.
Chavoita has threatened for the last year to file an elder abuse suit, which is yet to materialize.
Read More on The US Sun
He told The U.S. Sun, "I can't remember how long it was into the relationship as far as my dad starting to have financial headaches, like, 'What's going on with my social security checks?'
"Lakeisha took the Mercedes, she took the bus, she took money, what else was it? The motorcycle."
8