Melissa Etheridge - Tammy Lynn LEGAL Split: Singer Files Papers To End It

LOS ANGELES — Court records show Melissa Etheridge has filed to make her breakup with former girlfriend Tammy Lynn Michaels official.

The singer filed to dissolve her domestic partnership with Michaels on Friday in Los Angeles. They announced their separation in April, and the rocker told Oprah Winfrey it was mutual, but "sad."

The two held a commitment ceremony in 2003 and registered a domestic partnership in August 2005. Michaels gave birth to twins from an anonymous sperm donor in 2006.

The 49-year-old Etheridge cited irreconcilable differences for the split in court filings. She is asking to share joint custody of their 3-year-old children.

The filing was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.

Comments

[stacis505]

07:34 AM on 07/05/2010

im pretty sure the sperm donor would not have any responsibility to the children, their mothrer, her lesbian life partner, or the death of what certainly would have been a stellar career.

[stacis505]

07:25 AM on 07/05/2010

while certainly in a much lengthier fashion, tammy is essentially restaing what melissa said to media. ive been through two divorces, one as petitioner, and neither time was my wish to not support the other party discussed or written in a document...

i opnly read this bc i was wondering what would happen to david crosbys baby--possible legal issues surrounding actual relationship between bio mom and child and lack thereof on other side..

so now im a bit more current,,,,,,was the no version of a prenup or prewhatever executed prior to ceremony...

[jimbo1618]

11:54 PM on 07/04/2010

Most arrogant people are looking for a compliment as a partner rather than a complement - now wonder it does not work out - when the compliments run out (reality hits) the relationship is dead and the arrogant one, who is usually afraid of intimacy is looking elsewhere for more compliments - it's simple!

[JakeMontero]

08:11 PM on 07/04/2010

gay folks have the same issues as straights. they deserve the same rights.

[freeus]

10:18 PM on 07/04/2010

Yep.

[stacis505]

11:46 AM on 07/05/2010

i just skimmed tammys blog ===i know think BLINDSIDED grossly understates what she is feeling... i cant explain what she is going through but unfotunately i completely understand.....

[mitchpeter]

06:48 PM on 07/04/2010

See, us gays are just like the straights, we tire of marriage just as easily, so let us just have that privilege!
www.gaynycdad.com

[ProFormaArtista]

06:40 PM on 07/04/2010

Who said, "You are your own guru?" Was it Alan Watts or Chirshnamurty or Ram Dass?

I completely agree with that admonishment and warning. Which is why followers of Jesus are not their own guru and will forever be, well, mere followers.

It means nearly the same as where Jesus said, Chapter 14, Verse 12, to his disciples: "The work that I do, ye shall do, and greater works than these shall you do."

In the context of this story, it means "make your own music."

[Thomas Murphy]

12:47 PM on 07/04/2010

Robots.

[mark oconnor]

12:11 PM on 07/04/2010

It's difficult to know what is really going on here.

In any case, it seems there is a higher standard that has to apply when there are children involved.

If this were a domestic partnership or same-sex marriage with no children it would be much less complicated.

[Ultraworld]

02:44 PM on 07/05/2010

It is all about the children (keep then out of the press). But is they who are most affected.

[Dr Confuso]

10:50 AM on 07/04/2010

Just an observation here: Etheridge looks and acts like a whack job.
That is all.

[francesk]

12:29 PM on 07/04/2010

I thought she looked off on the Oprah show as well....and she is someone I've always liked, but she didn't look emotionally well at all...but hey, next time I go on Oprah...lol....people can judge me too

[CitizenKane16]

10:12 AM on 07/06/2010

I didn't catch her on Oprah but saw her on The View. She looked off there as well but I get your point about not judging.

[kinogod]

10:47 AM on 07/04/2010

Legally done? Don't think so. The wrangling has just begun.

[chancefavors]

09:05 AM on 07/04/2010

She was partnered with a multi millionaire for years. Once they split, she had to "scape together" gas money from friends? How can this BE???

[Jeremy Danials]

03:00 AM on 07/04/2010

Ah, a gay marriage (term used loosely) ends...

Funny how the world didn't end...

[CitizenKane16]

10:13 AM on 07/06/2010

Funny how the world doesn't end when 50% of straight marriages end either. Rights are rights whether for gay or straight.

[imfreed97]

11:32 PM on 07/03/2010

In 2000, when Julie Cypher broke up with Melissa Etheridge, she (Julie) received half of Melissa's assets. WHY you ask. To paraphrase Melissa....I always said that I would marry Julie if it were possible. Now it is only appropriate that I share with her equally.
Now I read that after almost 9 years of domestic partnership with Tammy... Tammy taking care of Baily and Becket when Melissa had her custody times...making a home of security and comfort for Melissa and her children, Melissa has asked the court to not award spousal support to Tammy, even temporarily. Are you freaking kidding me?
I have been a devoted fan of Melissa Etheridge since her first album, own all her records. have seen her in concert 9 times, own every download available. I live in West Lafayette, Indiana just across the river from Lafayette where Tammy was born and raised. I met Tammy outside the Chicago Theater (Skin Tour) and she couldn't have been more gracious and generous.
And yes, I am very familiar with Tammy's blog and yes she writes without a filter between brain and mouth. Quite a refreshing approach actually. Look at the missing dates on her blog page. Do you really think Tammy took those blogs down willingly? Censeorship at its best

Melissa has not followed her own mantra ,"Speak true".
I am beyond disappointed in the way Melissa handled this whle situation.

[Hotincal38]

05:38 PM on 07/04/2010

imtreed97, exactly. Melissa is a hypocrite and LOL at her mantra of "speak true". SHe has set back the Gay Marriage struggle for years now.

[imfreed97]

08:31 PM on 07/04/2010

Yes, Hotincal38............she has with one court filing put Gay Marriage on the back track and what's worse, she doesn't seem to care.

[stacis505]

09:25 AM on 07/05/2010

prenup or the same sex oriented equivalent

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

09:52 PM on 07/03/2010

If there is gay marriage there has to be gay divorce.

[samoisdead]

12:48 AM on 07/04/2010

They don't seem to think so, they think they can do it better, lol.

[Jaxy]

06:32 AM on 07/04/2010

Is that so? I am completely unaware that any gay person has claimed the ability to "do" marriage "better". Do you have any evidence of that assertion?

It is my understanding that what the gay community seeks is the right to marry and establish legally-cognizable family ties, just like anyone else. However, given that straight society has have done such a bang-up job with marriage, I doubt that gay folks could make it much worse.

[Lane]

09:05 PM on 07/03/2010

whatever happened to the committment we make to one another? Melissa meets somebody new and so her marriage is over? She never tries to work it out, just moves on to the next one.

[enoughofrr]

09:42 PM on 07/03/2010

It's the American way.