Channel 10 anchor Calvin Hughes going through nasty divorce | Miami Herald
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Miami Local 10 anchor going through nasty divorce
Star WPLG-Channel 10 anchorman Calvin Hughes is going through a nasty divorce during which he was temporarily reduced to seeing his three children only during visits supervised by another adult, according to court records.
Miramar resident Hughes, 46, who anchors the ABC station’s highly rated nightly news alongside Laurie Jennings, was finally given full access to the children, ages 6, 8 and 10, in June after a special hearing in a Broward County family court.
Bacardi Jackson, Hughes’ soon-to-be-ex-wife, claimed in motions the children are scared of Hughes because of his alleged “abusive behavior” and “lack of concern for their care.”
She alleged Hughes has “anger management issues” and he “violently spanked” at least one of the children.
She also filed a separate petition in which she alleged she was also the victim of Hughes’ temper, but that set of papers has been sealed.
In order to limit negative exposure, court records show, Hughes agreed to supervised visits with the children on a temporary basis last fall.
A few weeks, however, turned into many months because of motions filed by Jackson, said Katie Phang, Hughes’ attorney.
“It took a special hearing to dismiss the temporary arrangement,” Phang said. “That takes time. But now, Calvin enjoys complete, unsupervised and unfettered shared custody.”
Spencer West, Jackson’s lawyer, said two petitions for a domestic violence injunction against Hughes, one to protect Jackson and the other to protect the children, are still pending even if Hughes’ visits are no longer supervised.
“We’ll let the facts speak for themselves when it comes to the abuse,” West said.
Hughes and Yale University-trained lawyer Jackson were married in Memphis in 2005, according to the paperwork. Calling the married “irretrievably broken,” she filed for divorce in August 2016 and asked for alimony and child support.
In his counter-petition, Hughes called Jackson’s petition “frivolous and spurious” and designed to “harass” him.
He did agree with her on the “irretrievably broken” part.
Local 10 has made it clear it’s standing by its man despite the ugliness.
“This is a private family matter, but we will say we know the type of person Calvin is. He is a great father, a great journalist and he has our support,” News Director Bill Pohovey wrote in an email.
And Hughes issued this statement: “My kids are now and have always been my first priority. I love my children. Unfortunately, when couples get divorced, allegations are made that are not true.”
Hughes, records show, is currently paying Jackson $3,100 a month in temporary child support.
Said Jackson: “I’ve tried to do my best to keep all this private, but this is not about someone’s reputation or money. It’s about my children.”
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Republished by the Law Office of Scott A. Ferris, P.A.