Matt Barnes and Gloria Govan Face Off In Court, Barnes Accuses Govan Of Assault With Deadly Weapon

The dispute between Matt Barnes and his ex-wife, Gloria Govan, over their sons’ Labor Day Weekend schedule has officially transformed into a full-blown custody battle filled with allegations of assault and legal issues for Govan. 

In Barnes’ petition for a restraining order and full custody of his kids, the former baller said the incident erupted over “another intentional act by Gloria due to her lack of impulse control and arbitrary decision-making.” 

According to The Blast, Barnes said Govan put him, their children and other school students in “physical danger,” by trying to “kidnap the children from their father.” 

Barnes said it all started when he confronted Govan outside of the school. He said she immediately jerked her car backwards, allegedly slamming the car door on both Barnes and their son, Isaiah’s arms. 

He said he then got the kids out of the car, in an attempt to flee the scene, when he noticed, “Gloria’s large SUV barreling down the school parking lot,” as she slammed on the brakes before she hit his car. 

According to Barnes, Govan then blocked his car in the parking lot, to prevent him from leaving with the kids. She then phoned officials, and got herself locked up on a $100,000 bail. 

As a result, Barnes accused her of assault with a deadly weapon, child endangerment, and false imprisonment, and requested she is enrolled in a 52-week batterer intervention program. 

The two faced off in court on Wednesday, where Govan defended herself in Barnes’ attempt to gain full custody, and also called into question Barnes’ parenting. 

In docs obtained by the publication, Govan’s attorney said his client could not speak on the incident without violating her constitutional rights. He also questioned Barnes’ decision to keep the kids out of school on Wednesday, amid their custody battle. 

Govan said she was not made aware of their absence until her scheduled visit. As a result, she believes it’s “concerning” that Barnes wants to change custody. She also believes there is no “competent evidence” to prove the children should be taken away from her.