Kehlani is defending herself in court in a custody battle with her former partner.
The R&B star filed for a temporary restraining order against ex-boyfriend Javaughn Young-White in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.
The new filing comes two weeks after Young-White filed for sole custody of her daughter Adeya, born in 2019.
Young-White is prohibited from contacting Kehlani and Adeya, including by phone or email, for the duration of the court order. The 27-year-old was also ordered to stay at least 300 feet away from the mother-daughter pair, Kehlani’s home and Adeya’s school or daycare.
While the restraining order is in effect, Kehlani retains full custody and residency rights for Adeya.
Kehlani comments: R&B star denies accusation of being a member of a ‘cult’ during custody battle with ex
In an attached court order, Detective Jeffrey W. Korn ruled that there was a risk of child abduction in the case, citing Young-White’s history of abuse toward Kehlani and lack of cooperation in co-parenting. Young-White’s abuse of the “Crash” singer was not further specified in the filing.
As a result, Young-White has been banned from traveling with Adeya outside of California or applying for passports and other travel-related documents. Under the terms of the restraining order, the guitarist is also prohibited from owning or purchasing firearms and ammunition.
A hearing on Kehlani’s request for a temporary restraining order is scheduled for September 3.
Kehlani’s ex claims in custody suit that singer is a member of a “cult”
In his July 24 lawsuit against Kehlani, Young-White claimed that the Grammy-nominated singer had been a member of a cult for the past few years and that the group “controlled her actions and behavior, including when it comes to raising our daughter.”
Young-White said he was banned from seeing Adeya for months because the cult’s alleged leader, Neto, told Kehlani he had had a vision that Young-White “was a danger to our daughter and would kill her.”
Kehlani’s ex also claimed that her five-year-old daughter was in the care of the cult members when the singer was on tour.
Young-White requested sole custody of Adeya due to Kehlani’s “busy schedule, her relationship with the cult she is active in, and the fact that she told me she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.”
Kehlani on the road: Singer announces Crash concert tour. How to get tickets
He also requested a psychological evaluation of Kehlani to check her mental health.
“I am not here to disparage (Kehlani),” Young-White said in the lawsuit. “However, the environment she has created for herself is not the kind of environment a child should live in, and so I turn to the court’s mercy and wisdom to save my daughter before it is too late.”
Kehlani responds to her ex’s “cult” allegations
In a lengthy statement posted on her Instagram stories last week, Kehlani said she “strongly denies any allegations that I put my child in danger or left him alone with someone deemed dangerous or unsafe.”
Regarding Young-White’s claim that she was a member of a cult, Kehlani said she “does not agree with any of the allegations made in the media against my former religious community.”
“I have always been very careful to make sure my child is protected and safe at all times,” Kehlani said. “My child and my commitment as a mother have always been and always will be my only driving forces in this life. That is who I am and what I have always focused on.”
