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Jeff Lewis Says He and Gage Edward Are Running into Some Challenges While Figuring out Custody of Daughter Monroe
“Unfortunately, during breakups you see people for who they really are,” the Flipping Out designer said.
Jeff Lewis and Gage Edward are working on figuring out how to successfully co-parent daughter Monroe following their break-up earlier this year.
Jeff shared during his Radio Andy show, Jeff Lewis Live, on Tuesday, June 18 that he and Gage recently met with their lawyers to discuss 50/50 custody of their 2-year-old. “I thought this meeting was going to be... about custody arrangements,” Jeff said, as reported by PEOPLE. “We’re going to talk about financial support. We’re going to handle it all and move forward.”
However, Jeff claimed that they instead talked about a visitation schedule for a single week “and it was never resolved.”
The meeting came about after Gage's attorney allegedly sent Jeff a letter asking for 50/50 custody of Monroe that would allow him to see her three-and-a-half days per week. Jeff claimed that the letter was "very nasty." “Unfortunately, during breakups you see people for who they really are,” he said. “The problem is, when you hurt each other this way, it’s very hard to get through it. Sometimes people do such terrible things and say such terrible things.”
Following a disagreement over email and an alleged recent incident at his home, the Flipping Out designer said he told Gage that he would not be limiting his access to Monroe but that visitation should happen outside of his home. Jeff claimed that he received the letter after that.
Jeff and Gage were actually able to share a nice co-parenting moment with Monroe on Father's Day. “She had diarrhea in the car and she was crying and it hurt and he was holding her,” Jeff recalled. “She just didn’t want to let go of him. And I said, ‘Just come in the house.'”
They then changed Monroe's diaper together and were texting each other all night about it. “It was such a great experience for us coming together,” Jeff shared.
Gage shared a photo with Monroe on Father's Day that was filled with "pure joy."
After that, Jeff said he was hopeful that he and Gage could have a civil meeting to discuss custody and visitation with their attorneys, but he claimed that Gage “came in hot and it was really ugly.”
Jeff said that he just wants what's best for Monroe in this situation. “I don’t dispute his rights as her parent,” he said. “What I dispute is how we do it. She’s 2 and a half years old. This is her home. Ease her into it.”
Jeff previously said that he didn't "even want to go there" when it came to thinking about a legal custody arrangement for Monroe following his split from Gage. He also said that, no matter what happened between him and Gage, he would never deny his former partner the chance to see their daughter. "If there's bumps in the road, and there could be, and this could get a little contentious, I just want to vow that I will never use our baby as a weapon. And I thought about it this morning, if there is some judge that says, 'OK, Gage, you get the baby Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,' I am making a vow that even though some judge stipulates when he can see the baby, he can see the baby whenever he wants to see the baby. And I don't care what any judge says," Jeff shared. "He needs to know that, that he has 24-hour access."
This was working out for a while with the Flipping Out exes seeming like "a happy family" with their daughter, according to Jeff. However, Jeff revealed in May that the "open door visitation policy is not working out."
Jeff said that he wanted to set up some sort of visitation schedule with Gage. Gage seemed to be open to the idea, according to Jeff, which made him optimistic that they could work this out on their own. "Right now, it's good. We're having a conversation. I don't think we need attorneys at this point," Jeff said at the time. "He understands now that we do need some sort of structure."
Even though co-parenting with Gage hasn't been the easiest experience, Jeff said that he has no regrets about having a daughter with his ex. "I wouldn't have had the baby without Gage. I wouldn't have done it," he shared. "He's a great dad."
See more of Jeff and Gage through the years, below.
