Josh Homme Breaks His Silence About His Messy Custody Battle with Ex-Wife Brody Dalle
To say that the ongoing child custody battle between Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and The Distillers’ frontwoman Brody Dalle has been a messy affair would be putting it mildly. In a confusing series of legal back and forth, the former couple have had restraining orders filed, community service issued, and made threats of bodily harm to people connected to the incident.
While the news stories have been constant, Homme’s largely remained silent on the issue. Well, that’s not the case any more, as he released a rather lengthy statement (shared below) outlining the custody battle as he sees it.
Out of respect and concern for his minor children and their well-being, Joshua Homme has previously refrained from making public statements about his family to the media. In light of the continued falsehoods, the repeated invasions of the children’s privacy and the resulting emotional harm, it is time that the truth be told. Our hope is that this will end the enquiries and speculation and provide the family the privacy and consideration they deserve.
For more than a year after the conclusion of their divorce proceedings, Joshua Homme and Brody Dalle were able to amicably co-parent their three children in a healthy and functional way. The situation took a dark turn when Dalle violated the 50/50 custody agreement by withholding the children from seeing their father. Despite multiple orders by the Los Angeles Family Court to return the children, as well as being found in contempt of court, Dalle continued to violate the custody agreement. The situation was exacerbated by the inappropriate actions of her boyfriend Gunner Foxx.
In March 2022, the Los Angeles Family Court awarded Joshua Homme sole legal custody of all three children, and they are currently under the care of their father and paternal grandparents. Dalle was granted supervised visitation with their youngest child in the interim. Joshua Homme will remain the sole legal guardian of all minor children until a custody hearing in the fall of 2023, at which point a more permanent solution will be determined by the Los Angeles Family Court.
Recent actions by Brody Dalle and Gunner Foxx have not only caused the children emotional harm, but have also put them in great danger. As a result of these actions, on March 16, 2023 The Los Angeles Family Court ordered a permanent restraining order against Brody Dalle for a period of 1 year and 11 months. This Domestic Violence Restraining order was granted to protect (and on behalf of) the Homme family, including Joshua, his three children, and Joshua’s parents, Michael and Irene Homme.
It was reported in the fall of 2021 that Homme’s sons had filed a restraining order against their father and that it was signed by their mother. It has since been revealed in court proceedings that this restraining order was drafted and filed by Gunner Foxx, who forged Dalle’s signature on the document. Dalle later testified in court to having known at the time that Foxx had forged her signature, while doing nothing to set the record straight legally or in the media.
In August of 2022, Joshua Homme and his two sons were granted a restraining order protecting them from Gunner Foxx, preventing him from making any contact with them whatsoever for a period of five years. Foxx’s requests for a restraining order against Homme were denied by two separate courts.
It was reported that Homme’s daughter filed a restraining order against him. This was also filed by Gunner Foxx who took the minor child to court without the presence of either one of her parents. Prior to the hearing on this matter — at the child’s request and through her own counsel — the order was rescinded.
All allegations made against Joshua Homme by Brody Dalle and Gunner Foxx or on behalf of the Homme children have been repeatedly investigated by local law enforcement, Los Angeles DCFS and the Los Angeles County Courts. Additionally, the children are represented and their best interests are ensured by their own court-appointed legal counsel, DCFS and the Los Angeles Court system. It was subsequent to these investigations, as well as 24-hour, court-appointed monitoring (at both parents’ homes over many months) that the Los Angeles Family Court determined it is in the best interest of the children to remain in the care of their father.
The Homme family is grateful to the Los Angeles County Courts, minor’s counsel, local law enforcement, DCFS and court-ordered monitors for their time and continued attention and care. The goal of the Los Angeles Family Court System and Joshua Homme’s sincere hope is that the conclusion of this matter will result in the ability for both Homme and Dalle to co-parent their children peacefully.
Given the assertion that the restraining orders filed against Homme by his children were forgeries, that right there is some vile shit. Especially when you remember that one those orders claimed Homme’s son Wolf alleged that he “drinks and drives, calls his mother [Dalle] curse words, grabs their necks and ears, and that he’s scared to go to his father’s house.”
This will very likely not be the end of the story, so we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for more details surrounding this legal shitshow. Especially as Queens of the Stone Age gear up for an upcoming tour and potentially new album.
