But by 2010 - after Souray's overtures and after he dumped his then-girlfriend - Bridges says she convinced herself again that Souray "was a changed man." She agreed to drop the Marvin action, fired her attorneys again - owing them a six-figure fee - in exchange for child and spousal support modifications and freedom to pursue her entertainment career again.
Then Souray flew to Florida to be with his supposedly ex-girlfriend, Bridges says.
"Defendant Souray told his ex-girlfriend that he had been courting plaintiff the entire time in order to trick her into signing the release, stipulation and order," the complaint states. "Defendant Souray then started seeing the girlfriend he had broken up with while he was attempting to get in plaintiff's good graces so she would drop her Marvin action lawsuit and sign a new child support stipulation. Furthermore, defendant Souray became less engaged with his children, spending less time with them and visiting them irregularly, infrequently and inattentively. When defendant Souray did have his children at his home, they were often subjected to improper adult situations. In August 2011 plaintiff became aware that her oldest daughter Valentina had been exposed to watching defendant Souray and his girlfriend blatantly and openly having sex in front of her, as well as exposing her to a sexual home video they had made. In addition, defendant Souray had taken a belt to plaintiff's oldest child's buttocks, leaving bruises and welts all over her buttocks. Plaintiff notified the police and child services and filed a police report. Plaintiff further filed a temporary restraining order against defendant Souray, prohibiting him from contacting either of the couple's minor children, which was granted in September of 2011."
Since then, Bridges says, Valentina has been hospitalized three times at UCLA's psychiatric unit for children for emotional breakdowns, takes medication daily to control her behavior and attends a school for children with emotional and behavioral problems. Valentina is not yet 10 years old.
Souray also refused to abide by his agreement to pay a portion of Bridges' legal fees with Lon B. Issacson & Associates, resulting in a $320,000 lien against Bridges, according to the complaint.
Yet despite the turmoil, she managed to land a cooking show in the U.K. and - since her agreement with Souray allowed her to move freely with the children to pursue work - she found a school for Valentina and informed Souray she planned to spend the 2012-2013 school year in London.
"Defendant Souray called plaintiff in London while she was there to do a pilot for a cooking show. Plaintiff had company over at the time defendant Souray called. Plaintiff put the telephone on speakerphone so that her guests could hear the abuse plaintiff has to put up with from defendant Souray. During this telephone call defendant Souray plainly told plaintiff she was a loser, that everyone hated her, that he was going to destroy her, that her own children hated her and that defendant Souray's girlfriend was a 'better' mother to the girls. Plaintiff just sat there and at times would repeat the things defendant Souray said as if to give him a chance to take them back, to clarify she was really hearing what plaintiff and her guests were all witnessing and to give him a chance to calm down and think about what he was saying to her and in front of the children in that moment. This only infuriated defendant Souray to the point he began threatening plaintiff with 'You had better watch your back,' because she could 'disappear,' she was 'finished,' 'through' and that he was 'taking the f------ kids for good.' Defendant Souray began to tell plaintiff of her every move, where she had gone and her daily routine as if he had been stalking her or had someone following her. Defendant Souray's irrational and psychotic rant went on for at least 15 minutes and he would have continued if plaintiff did not tell him 'Never contact me by phone directly again, especially when the children are right in the room with you' and that his 'violence' and 'constant harassing' of her and the children had to stop. She finally hung up and was distraught and shell shocked. Because the violent outburst by defendant Souray had so shaken plaintiff, her guests did not leave her side until she safely boarded her airplane back to the United States," Bridges says in the complaint.
She claims Souray blocked her plans to move to London by getting an order prohibiting her from leaving the country with their children. She claims she tried to arrange a visitation schedule from the U.K. that worked around his hockey schedule, when he's on the road nine months of the year, and can see the children only occasionally.
Bridges claims Souray's latest efforts include seeking more custody so he can pay less child support which she has "become financially dependant on." Souray even enlisted his family to help in the plan, according to the complaint.
"In addition to defendant Souray working feverishly to separate plaintiff from her children, between June of 2012 and November 2012, defendant Souray's mother has sent plaintiff's eldest daughter electronic messages to her iPad berating plaintiff and stating how plaintiff is a bad mother and that someday soon defendant Souray will have full custody of both children. This vile communication from the paternal grandmother demonstrates that the entire Souray family is united in a concerted effort to remove the children from plaintiff, thereby destroying plaintiff by leaving her unemployed, destitute and childless," Bridges says in her complaint.
Bridges seeks at least $14 million in damages on her contract claims and a declaration that the agreement they made in exchange for dropping the Marvin action is binding. She also seeks "a reasonable sum per month for supplemental support and maintenance of plaintiff and their children in light of Souray's continued, intentional frustration of plaintiff's right to reestablish her career and in light of the continued damage which Souray has intentionally done to the emotional lives of their daughters Valentina and Scarlett."
She is represented by Stephen M. Rinka of Los Angeles.
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