THE Golden Bachelor star Leslie Fhima’s nasty divorce has been revealed in court documents exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun.
Leslie, 64, opened up to Gerry Turner, 72, about how she got divorced twice and has been single for 22 years.
Now, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal more information about her most recent divorce that occurred over two decades ago.
The personal trainer and her ex David Fhima's rocky relationship began only a few years after tying the knot in December 1990 in Los Angeles, California.
In September 1994, David, 62, filed for divorce against her. However, it was dismissed after the couple appeared to have reconciled.
Four years later, Leslie then filed for divorce against him in July 1998 claiming there has been an "irretrievable breakdown" of their marriage.
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They had two children together: Chloe and Elijah Fhima. Leslie had welcomed another child, Zack Chazin, from her previous marriage.
Chloe was seven years old and Elijah was four years old at the time.
According to Minnesota court docs obtained by The U.S. Sun, Leslie requested the court grant her sole physical custody and that both parties be granted joint legal custody.
The biggest issue the couple faced in their divorce was child support.
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Although he is now the executive chef for the Minnesota Timberwolves and owns the fine dining restaurant Fhima's, he used to work as the owner of the Minneapolis Cafe and made $4K to $5K per month.
She noted she was making $1,500 to $2,000 per month as a personal trainer and was dependent on David for his support.
She also requested a name change from Leslie Beth Fhima to her surname Leslie Beth Paster so that she wouldn't "defraud or mislead anyone."
In the end, the divorce was finalized in September 1999 and the parties were awarded joint physical custody and David was ordered to pay $340 in child support. But, it wasn't enough for Leslie.
DEMANDING MORE
In 2003, the former pro figure skater sought to modify the child support payments based on her ex's alleged increased income.
In the court docs obtained by The U.S. Sun, Leslie reported she made $33,772.50 in 2002, which was a combination of her part-time job at Temple Israel and her aerobics classes/personal training sessions.
Meanwhile, the docs stated that David admitted that his income "increased substantially" - at $12,500 per month - and that the increase "warrants some modification of the existing child support award."
Leslie slammed her ex in the docs, even bringing up the fact that her boyfriend at the time, David Gotlieb- who appears to be a Minneapolis lawyer- has been helping her with her finances.
David "has been very generous in meeting my needs...has given me the use of a car, paid my automobile insurance," she stated.
"It is abundantly clear that there is no way I can meet my monthly budget with only $340 in child support...My boyfriend does not have an obligation to subsidize me."
She continued: "Based on these factors, my ex-husband's increased income, my decreased income (because spousal maintenance has now ended), his extravagant purchases, all point to the conclusion that an upward deviation is appropriate."
Leslie also stated that her expenses were $7,500 per month, which included $500 per month for "entertainment (for children only)" and $400 for clothing for four people (herself and her three kids)- something the court argued.
The court noted that there is a "strong suspicion that the mother's financial situation is probably far more rosy than she suggests."
The breakdown was as follows: "With $5,039 per month in expenses and a $1,000 per month rent contribution from her boyfriend, mother needs $4,039 in after tax cash flow to meet her remaining expenses....yet mother confirmed that she has not been using credit cards or borrowing money on a monthly basis."
GETTING NASTY
Leslie's ex fired back at her expenses, suggesting they were unreasonable and personal, and not so much for the children.
The docs stated: "Father brought his own motion for attorney's fees, claiming the mother went on an expensive fishing expedition incident to her claim that the parties' MTA (Medical Travel Account) was fraudulently procured."
He sought to recover $950 from Leslie for her share of expenses paid by him, "but failed to provide his itemization in a timely manner."
In June 2003, Leslie's motion for an upward deviation in child support was denied and his motion for attorney's fees was denied.
However, her monthly child support increased. The judge ordered David to pay $695.50 per month, instead of the $340. He was also ordered to pay her $900 in attorney's fees.
In August 2003, another order was filed stating Leslie owed David $995 for her share of the children's unreimbursed medical expenses paid by her ex. David, for his part, owed her $285 for his share of the children's unreimbursed medical expenses.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to David and Leslie's rep for comment.
FALLING FOR GERRY
Leslie has become a clear frontrunner on The Golden Bachelor and has earned her spot in the final three.
On November 2, fans will watch as Gerry visits Leslie's hometown in Minnesota as well as Faith Martin's in Washington and Theresa Nist's in New Jersey.
During the Santa Monica pier group date, which aired on October 26, Leslie revealed her true feelings to the show's lead.
"I'm falling in love with you," she told Gerry as they shared some intimate time alone from the other women.
He then responded: "You're my girl."
Leslie admitted that the journey has been tough as she witnessed the Indiana native take the other seniors on a date.
She explained to him: "It brings up a lot of past feelings from other relationships because I have been cheated on many, many times."
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Gerry comforted her by letting her know, "I've got you."
New episodes of The Golden Bachelor air on Thursdays at 8pm ET on ABC and are available to stream the next day on Hulu.
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