U.S. pop singer-actress Hilary Duff’s father Bob was led away in handcuffs after a Texas judge found him guilty of violating a court order that prohibited him from selling assets without the consent of his estranged wife, Susan.
Judge Thomas Stansbury in Houston on Wednesday ordered Bob Duff to spend ten days in jail for contempt of court. Duff was led away in handcuffs during a court hearing after Judge Stansbury determined he violated an injunction against selling assets last month without court approval.
Besides the 10-day jail term, Bob has been ordered to deposit with the court the $367,537 he made from the sale of stocks.
Bob and Susan, parents of Hilary, appeared in the court on Wednesday for the latest round in their two-and-a-half-year bitter divorce proceedings that were focused mainly on their daughter’s upcoming 21st birthday party, which is on Sept. 28.
Susan was seeking a hefty $25,000 to buy her daughter a present and throw her a party, contending that the current amount, i.e. $10,000, Bob pays her in interim support per month is not sufficient to pay even her own bills, how can she afford such expensive gifts or treats in that much amount.
Susan claimed that Bob had purchased plenty of presents for his girlfriend's sons, and that her daughter had been "emotionally upset by the abandonment of her father."
Stansbury ultimately ordered Bob to pay Susan $12,500 for his share in Hilary's birthday.
At the end of the hearing, when the deputies led Bob away in handcuffs, Susan gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "This isn't what I wanted," she whispered.
Meanwhile, Bob Duff's attorney Robert Piro said his client would post bond and file an appeal as soon as possible.
Neither Hilary, 20, nor her sister Haylie, 23, were in court.
Born on 28 September 1987 in Houston, Texas, Hilary’s acting and singing career blasted off in 2003, with appearances in three movies and a Top 40 hit, "So Yesterday" -from her debut solo album, “Metamorphosis.”
Hillary is best known for her teen role on TV's "Lizzie McGuire" and who has also appeared in the movies "Material Girls," "War, Inc.," "A Cinderella Story" and "Cheaper by the Dozen."
it's sad to hear about this,
it's sad to hear about this, but at least hilary's mom is fighting for her daughters, and only wants the best for them. for those of you thinking hilary should buy her own gifts and throw her own party, why would ANYONE do that?! do YOU buy your own gifts? No matter how rich you are, when you're in the business, parents always buy you gifts. and when your parents have money, THEY throw the children parties. hilary's father has the money, he owns a chain of convenience stores in texas! duh! this is all part of the divorce! the dad is SUPPOSED to give the mom money! in his situation, he has to, and should just give the money. at least hilary's mom doesn't have favorites, and wants to be fair w/ the amount of money for birthdays. Poor Hilary though, she's always been so gracious, classy, beautiful, and talented. you can say otherwise, but it's true. She's always maintained her dignity, and you can't deny that. she's not like all those other teen sluts flashing there vaginas, going to rehab, and taking naked pics. i hope hilary gets that big birthday bash. 21 is a milestone age, and definetly can't go uncelebrated! it's a big birthday for most ppl, so for a super famous girl, $25,000 for a gift and party isn't a lot! hope they get through this! TEAM HILARY!!!