Anthony Edwards and his ex, Ayesha Howard, are locked in a bitter legal battle over the paternity and support of their newborn daughter. According to court documents, Howard, 36, submitted alleged text messages from the NBA star urging her to terminate the pregnancy. Howard gave birth to Aubri Summers Howard in October 2024. Edwards, 23, responded by filing legal documents in Georgia, requesting a DNA test and court-ordered child support if he was confirmed as the father.
Ayesha Howard also filed a separate paternity case in California, seeking full legal and physical custody along with financial support. She opposed Edwards' attempt to have the case heard in Georgia, accusing him of trying to manipulate jurisdiction to minimize his obligations. Edwards, in turn, alleged Howard was strategically filing in California to secure a higher child support order. In her declaration, Howard detailed the early stages of their relationship, claiming she met Edwards in 2022 and spent time with him in multiple cities during his NBA season and off-season. She discovered she was pregnant in January 2024.
Anthony Edwards & Ayesha Howard Situation
According to Howard, Edwards reacted with hostility, cutting off all communication and making it clear he wanted no involvement. She provided alleged text messages as evidence, one in which Edwards responded to her pregnancy announcement with, “Ok lol. Get da abortion lol.” When she refused, he allegedly dismissed her with laughing emojis and later wrote, “I won’t be in a child’s life I don’t want lol.” Howard asserted that Edwards never inquired about her well-being or provided any emotional or financial support throughout the pregnancy. She also accused him of attempting to evade legal paternity testing by offering only informal, unsupervised methods. Given his past controversies involving paternity claims, she declined, citing distrust.
Edwards allegedly submitted to a DNA test in December 2024, confirming he was Aubri’s father. However, Howard stated that even after the results, he refused to provide support or acknowledge their child. She described the legal fight as emotionally and financially exhausting, preventing her from fully embracing motherhood. Edwards fired back in court on February 11, calling Howard’s declaration “misleading” and “fabricated.” His legal team argued she falsely implied their relationship spanned multiple states while omitting that they had no intimate encounters in California. They also pointed out Howard received prenatal care in Georgia and had previously stated she spent the summer in Atlanta. Edwards’ lawyers accused Howard of orchestrating a “false reality” to exploit the legal system for financial gain. The court has yet to issue a ruling.
[Via]
