REAL Housewives of Orange County alum Braunwyn Windham-Burke and her ex-husband Sean Burke are at war again over child and spousal support, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
Braunwyn, 46, and Sean, 50, finalized their divorce in November 2023, more than a year after the RHOC alum filed to end their 23-year marriage.
Their divorce case was in Orange County, California, where the couple initially raised their seven kids.
Since then, they both have moved to Franklin, Tennessee, where Braunwyn has decided to settle down with her now-fiancée, Jennifer Spinner.
Sean moved in with the couple in April 2023, but as of December, he has since moved out and is living somewhere else.
On March 19, 2024, the business strategist filed a petition for modification of child support in the state since “there has been a significant variance warranting the modification.”
He is requesting the court determine the modification of the previously California-ordered $6k per month so that it’s “in accordance with the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines.”
He is also requesting Braunwyn pay for his attorneys’ fees and costs in this case, according to court documents exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun.
RAISING CONCERN
In response to Sean’s request for modification of child support, Braunwyn filed a petition for civil contempt on April 5, 2024.
The LGBTQ+ advocate rehashed their court-ordered agreement from April 2023, which she claimed Sean has not been following.
The businessman was expected to pay $6,000 per month in child support for their four minor children – twins Caden and Curren, Koa and Hazel – as well as $5,000 per month in spousal support.
They are parents to three other children – Bella, 23, Rowan, 21, and Jacob, 18.
He was also expected to pay her $10,000 as a contribution to her attorneys’ fees and costs.
“Despite the clear and unambiguous nature of these Orders, Father has willfully failed to pay to Mother the financial support which she is owed,” Braunwyn declared in the filing.
Breaking it down, she claimed total payments for child support from May 2023 to April 2024 should have been $72,000, and the spousal support payments should have totaled $60,000.
Including the $10k in attorney fees, his financial contribution should have totaled $142,000.
However, Braunwyn claimed he only paid $36,261.15 to date.
“Father is deficient in the amount of $105,738.85 in his court-ordered payments to Mother,” Braunwyn stated in the court docs.
She is requesting the court order him to pay the nearly $106k, plus all pre-judgment and post-judgment interest and attorney’s fees.
Sean was served these papers on April 12 and has yet to respond.
The U.S. Sun reached out to both parties for comment.
WON’T BACK DOWN
This isn’t the first time that Sean requested a modification in child support and custody.
Back in November 2023, days before their divorce was finalized, the father-of-seven requested that the monthly payment be adjusted to $3,000, which is $750 per child.
The reason he requested for a decrease in half of his monthly payments at the time is because he had a “substantial increased timeshare with the children.”
He estimated that he was with the kids “66 percent” of the time and that his ex was with them “34 percent” of the time, rather than the other way around which is what it was initially.
Sean then slammed Braunwyn for taking too many vacations and leaving the kids at home.
He noted: “Additionally, over the last few months due to Braunwyn’s personal vacations and [what’s] scheduled for November, she has only been in the home 1/3 of the time, instead of 2/3 of the time that child support was based on.”
His request for modification was denied once the judge signed off on the divorce on November 17, 2023.
It is unclear if the timeshare has changed since then.
BRAUNWYN SPEAKS OUT
Braunwyn took to Instagram on April 15, 2024, to explain her current job situation after she was “left with nothing” once separating from Sean in July 2021.
“I often hear on here ‘get a job’ when I mention how helpful my family has been, but here’s the thing…I needed them.
“When I left my ex-husband he left me with nothing, and while I’m waiting for the courts to make him do the right (and legal) thing, without them we wouldn’t of made it,” she captioned a photo of her showing her parents her new plot of land.
“I’ve been in school, I’m a recovery and wellness coach, I’m going back to school for my law degree, all these things take time, and I’m so grateful they’ve given me this chance.”
She continued, “I was a stay at home mom for 24 years, years looking back I should have used to stay in school and start a career, but I was young and naive and trusted someone that was untrustworthy.
“I’m excited for this chapter, it’s big and beautiful and if you can’t support me ….don’t knock me (or any woman) down!! Xoxo.”
