Being in love is wonderful! People in love glow, accompanied by the colorful butterflies in their stomach. Often, passion and trust mix in one, and if the couple is lucky enough, their attraction may grow into a mutual feeling for a lifetime. However, Time tests our ability to make compromises and we can't always keep the innocent feeling of being in love alive. Sometimes, even the best families end up in tears. On top of that, pregnancy and parenthood might become a challenge, and new roles and responsibilities might become a serious obstacle.

On the other hand, Hollywood presents love and marriage as a dream. However, Prince Charming may cheat with their nanny, and the beautiful Disney Princess may be sent to a rehab. In other words, the image we have of celebrities is just a fake mask, and many celeb marriages die in a dirty custody battle.

Being a target of attention attributes to the family drama. When two people are incompatible, it’s time for them to say goodbye, true. However, when parents argue, it’s the kids who suffer; and child support can't erase their guilt, pain, confusion...

Do you dare to have a look at some of the dirtiest custody battles?

15 Britney – Kevin Federline: "Oops, I Did It again!"

“Toxic” or not, we should admit that Britney has had a jagged life as a mother. Instead of cooking pies at home for her sons Sean and Jayden, she's become notorious for her unstable emotional life and inadequate behavior; she was even photographed driving with Sean on her lap.

Not surprisingly, her marriage with Kevin Federline failed. In an insane custody battle, in 2007, Britney lost custody of her two sons to their father. Yes, it was dirty! Britney's mother, Lynne Spears, commented on the case: “We are all fearing for Britney and this will be the final straw for her.”

However, Britney managed to get back on track, probably with a bit of help from her boyfriend Sam Ashgari, and as an insider reveals: “She’s told her family she wants the boys home with her for the summer, while they’re off from school. She wants to bring them with her wherever she goes.”

So, although she's been “a weekend mom”, Federline should respect her decision. Or?

14 Michael Jackson – Debbie: Divorce Lawyer Was Against Him

We all love Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. So does Debbie Rowe. And as she recalls his break-up with Lisa Marie Presley, “I was trying to console him, because he was really upset. He was upset because he really wanted to be a dad. I said, 'So be a dad.' He looked at me puzzled. That is when I looked at him and said. 'Let me do this. I want to do this. You have been so good to me. You are such a great friend. Please let me do this. You need to be a dad, and I want you to be.'”

However, the balcony incident with baby Blanket made people question his parenting skills and judgment. Were Paris, Michael Joseph and Prince in good hands? On top of that, in 2003, Michael Jackson was charged with being inappropriate with a child.

After the tragic death of Michael Jackson, the kids stayed with their co-guardian Katherine Jackson. However, Debbie Row claimed custody of her two children (Paris and Michael Joseph) as she was concerned about their mental well-being. A source reveals that Debbie thinks that “Katherine's not connected with the kids or involved in their lives.” So, in 2009, Debbie started to have supervised visits.

13 Paul – Heather Mills: “All You Need Is”... A Custody Battle

Although the Beatles preach that “All you need is love,” we should admit that sometimes it's hard to keep this love alive. The passionate relationship between Sir Paul McCartney and model Heather Mills ended in a notorious and dirty court battle. Mills claimed £125 million from their four-year marriage but was awarded 'only' £24.3 million. After which Mills said that their daughter was “meant to travel 'B' class, while her father travels 'A' class.” Poor Beatrice!

However, Mills realized “It was an incredible result in the end to secure mine and my daughter's future and that of all the charities that I obviously plan on helping – because you know it has been my life for 20 years.” Note that although Mills is known for her charity work, especially towards kids in need of prosthetic limbs, a judge says that there was “no documentary evidence, for example, letters from the relevant charities, that her fees were sent directly to charities.” Note that the judge awarded joint custody.

12 Halle Berry - Gabriel Aubry: “Monster's” Battle

Halle Berry is an attractive mother of two, Nahla and Maceo. However, she had a rough journey after her break-up with the famous Canadian model Gabriel Aubry (in 2010). After four years of battling for custody, Halle Berry had to pay $16,000 a month in child support for their daughter, Nahla. In addition, according to the court documents, Halle Berry had to pay $115,000 in retroactive support, plus $300,000 for her ex and his legal costs. A relationship of five years and as a consequence, millions in support? Is that fair?

In fact, Halle Berry's fame costs much more. The talented actress had to pay Nahla's school tuition fees and cover her health insurance. As the custody agreement for Nahla is 50/50, Halle Berry's request to move Nahla to France was refused. So let's hope that despite their dirty battle, Nahla can enjoy both her parents.

11 Woody Allen – Mia Farrow: Crazy Custody Battle

There's so much madness and pain surrounding Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. That's definitely one of the dirties custody battles of all times. Mia has eleven children – four biological and seven adopted. As Mia and Woody couldn't have kids for a long time, Mia adopted Dylan in 1985, and Woody formally adopted the girl in 1991.

After Dylan's accusations of physical abuse in 1993, Woody Allen was denied custody of his three children with actress Mia Farrow. Some people think that Mia fabricated the story. However, Dylan says, “There’s a lot I don’t remember, but what happened in the attic I remember. I remember what I was wearing and what I wasn’t wearing.”

What's more, Woody started a relationship with his step-daughter Soon-Yi, adopted by Mia and her ex Andre Previn, and the drama around Allen-Farrow-Previn family escalated.

10 Pamela Anderson – Tommy Lee: "Baywatch" Battle

Playboy Pamela Anderson and provocative Tommy Lee had it all. In February 1995, only four days after they met, they got married in romantic Hawaii. However, their awesome marriage turned into a disaster, which ended with a yearlong battle over their kids (Dylan and Brandon). Pam described her ex as “a very angry, unstable man who presents a danger to others, particularly when he is using alcohol, as he is presently doing.” Note that Lee was arrested for spousal abuse.

On the other hand, Lee said that Pamela wasn't a better parent for their kids. Lee said that his older son started using bad language in class and as Lee claims, “Brandon told the teacher he had learned the word from his mommy.” In the end, in 2002, the notorious couple agreed to joint custody.

9 David Hasselhoff - Pamela Bach: A Beautiful Day

Bad luck or a curse? Another Baywatch icon failed in his attempts to create a happy family. Attractive David Hasselhoff and lovely Pamela Bach broke up in 2006. Pam accused David of being verbally abusive, while David claimed his ex used drugs. Although David lost temporary custody of his daughters Taylor-Ann and Hayley, the judge awarded him full custody. The Superior Court Judge Mark Juhas granted Pamela Bach visitation rights for weekends and Wednesday nights. That decision was a shock for Pamela, but for David that was a blast, and as he said, “a beautiful day to go to the beach.”

However, such custody battles are more than painful for the kids, who are the real victims. Thank God, David Hasselhoff said that he would let the kids see their mother.

8 Melissa Etheridge – Tammy Lynn Michaels: Two Mothers

Melissa Etheridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels also got involved in a scandalous custody battle. In 2010, seven years after their commitment ceremony, they broke up.

In 2006, Michaels gave birth to twins Johnnie and Miller, via a sperm donor. However, she claimed that Melissa was verbally abusive in front of the kids and claimed full custody. During the trial, Melisa accused Michaels of burning one of their kids with a cigarette, calling her “vindictive and angry.”

Now, the former couple shares joint custody. Melissa Etheridge will pay Michaels $13,000 a month in spousal support and $10,000 a month in child support, plus 50 per cent of her royalties from her album The Awakening. This was a victory for Melissa, and as Michaels claims, with this money she will barely “scraping by.”

7 Kim Basinger – Alec Baldwin: “9 ½” Battle

The relationship of beautiful Kim Basinger and talented Alec Baldwin ended with an ugly custody battle. In 2004, after nine years of marriage and when their lovely daughter Ireland was only seven, the couple parted. Unfortunately, as Kim reveals, being a famous parent is problematic and the public attention aggravates the situation.

During the notorious trial, Kim said, “Divorce is hard on a kid, no matter how you cut it. And ours was very public and nasty.” Once Alec left a voice mail, calling Ireland “a rude, thoughtless little pig.” Kim and Alec had a nasty four-year custody battle. Despite the stress, Kim ensured that Ireland's childhood was normal: “I just wanted her to be free. If she wanted to have her friends over and write over the walls with a pen, that was fine. I wanted her childhood to be full of love and light and animals and friends.”

6 Charlie Sheen – Brooke Mueller: "Two And A Half Men"

The Two and a Half Men and his unhealthy habits are more than notorious. Brooke Mueller seemed to be a great companion for Sheen and his party nights. However, the heated relationship between Sheen and Mueller ended up with a dirty custody battle. “There was a fairly lengthy argument as far as both parents had conflicting versions of a child custody agreement,” reveals a spokesperson.

Not surprisingly, their twins Bob and Max suffered the most. Sheen filed requested to have his monthly $55,000 child support commitment to Mueller reduced after Mueller had showed up late at a bar with her little kids. What's more, after a visit, Sheen reported spotting a burn mark on his son. It's one of the dirties battles, with Sheen calling Brooke a “chubby weirdo.”

5 Charlie Sheen – Denis Richards: In And Out Of Rehab Centers

We all know that Charlie Sheen has always had a troubled relationship with drugs, sex, and alcohol, which is not a good combination for any parent. After his divorce with Brooke Mueller, Sheen and Denis Richards had two kids, Sam and Lola. In 2010, he lost custody of them.

Denis was granted temporary custody of her ex-husband’s twins Bob and Max after Brooke Mueller was admitted to rehab. However, she wanted to give up custody after the “violent twins attacked her daughters in disturbing outbursts and tortured her dogs." Note that Denis has an another child, Eloise, who is adopted. Denis claimed that “her daughters have been strangled, kicked in the head and stomach, scratched, bit, slapped, punched in the face and head, and spit on by Bob and Max.” Sheen and Mueller blamed Brooke for their behavior.

4 Jon Gosselin – Kate Gosselin: Plus 8

Can you believe that a wonderful family with eight kids will end up in a nasty mess? Jon and Kate got married in 1999. In 2000, Kate gave birth to twins Cara and Madelyn. In 2004, Kate gave birth to sextuplets: Aaden, Collin, Joel, Alexis, Hannah, and Leah. Parenthood may challenge even the most dreamy relationship, and eight kids is more than a challenge. Especially when one of the parents is not committed.

After their divorce and a few incidents with the police, Jon Gosselin got visitation rights, while Kate – full custody. With tears in her eyes, Kate reveals that “Having an ex-husband who doesn’t see the value in uplifting his children and his family, whether he chooses to be on the show or not, is extremely difficult.” Who's right and who's wrong?

3 Mel Gibson – Oksana: Russian Battle

After Mel Gibson left his family for Oksana, the love between iconic Mel Gibson and beautiful pianist Oksana gave birth to little Lucia. Unfortunately, their happiness didn't last long, and the exes got involved in a dirty custody battle. Mel even threatened Oksana. Mel Gibson, who pays $20,000 a month in child support, tried to gain full custody of Lucia.

An insider revealed that “Oksana is terrified that Mel is going to go to court and ask Judge Scott Gordon to give him sole custody of their daughter, Lucia. Oksana thinks Mel will try... to show the judge that she is an unfit mother.” The ex-couple had many legal battles during the years. Now, Oksana can't cope financially. In 2010, they agreed on joint legal custody of Lucia.

2 Anne Heche – Coley Laffoon: Stay-At-Home Dad

The relationship between actress Anne Heche and cameraman Coley Laffoon was marked by a complete disaster. Their divorce was more than nasty and the prolonged custody battle affected negatively their child Homer.

In 2007, the couple got divorced, and their divorce was finalized in 2009. Coley claimed he was a stay-at-home dad and he was given full custody while Anne was filming in Canada. Anne had to pay, $3,700 in child support, which was reduced to less than $1,500.

However, the actress claimed several times that Laffoon was gambling and abusing her money, while their son Homer was let alone or with nannies. Years later, Heche and Laffoon decided on a new agreement, based on '50/50' shared custody. Let's just hope Homer would develop a healthy relationship with his unhealthy parents.

1 Usher – Tameka's Fast Cash Solution

The custody battle between talented Usher and sexy Tameka was more than nasty. In 2009, Usher failed divorce, which was finalized the same year. Tameka accused Usher of being an absentee dad who emotionally harmed their sons Usher V and Naviyd. On the other hand, stylist Tameka was called “incapable of being a proper parent” who “does not have the emotional stability to or capacity to bond with them, and therefore she is handicapped.”

In 2012, Usher was awarded primary physical custody. Note that the couple shares legal custody. After a terrible pool accident, Tameka filed a request for a custody hearing, but Usher won.

In the end of the trial, though, the singer gave a consoling hug to his ex. Which sheds some hope that exes can stay friends in the name of their kids.

Sources: Dailymail.co.uk, Jezebel.com, Radaronline.com