SERENA Williams’ elderly father ‘King Richard’ – who has been struggling with health conditions and suffered a stroke – had secret surgery, The U.S. Sun can reveal.
Richard Williams, 80, whose life story was told in King Richard starring Will Smith, was previously alleged to be suffering from irreparable “brain damage” and “dementia”.
Court documents from a divorce battle with his estranged wife Lakeisha Williams, which included testimony from his own doctor, claimed his health was in serious decline.
But his son, who is Williams' power of attorney, has now revealed in a statement that he is doing "much, much better" after undergoing surgery in Florida in recent years.
Chavoita LeSane told The U.S. Sun: "He's definitely okay and happy. After he had the stroke I lived with him for about two years, maybe a little longer.
"The doctors in Miami did an amazing job, especially with his neuralgia/brain surgery.
King Richard
Watford confirm they are still seeking compensation from Everton for Silva
"He drives again now and cares for himself mostly, he's truly blessed."
Microvascular decompression (MVD) relieves "abnormal compression of a cranial nerve causing trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, or hemifacial spasm", according to online health sites.
It involves opening the skull and inserting a sponge between the nerve and artery triggering the pain signals.
The brain itself is untouched during the procedure, as doctors access the membrane covering the brain.
Most read in The US Sun
Boy, 6, dies after falling into frozen lake in tragedy that claimed lives of 3
Ellen DeGeneres' talk show DJ Stephen 'tWitch' Boss dies 'by suicide' aged 40
Thousands of households to get £180 free cash paid directly into bank account
Maisie Smith reveals rock hard abs as she poses in bikini during Lapland break
Williams is now back living alone in West Palm Beach and is very keen to get his divorce finalized with his ex – following years of legal wrangling amid an argument over their marital home.
His son Chavoita, a producer, director, and writer, who also has an office in Atlanta, said he regularly checks in on his dad, who also has a carer, but he's "mostly independent".
He has shared a slew of images on Instagram in recent months, showing his father in better health, calling him "his best friend and rock", and his "source of wisdom".
One snap shows the pair posing by a red car, with LeSane's arm around his father, who is seen barefoot and beaming.
A video also shows Williams appearing in great spirits as he carries a watermelon while walking next to his son, captioned: "I love these days with my dad."
LOYAL SON
Chavoita said: "This is what we do when we're in the field all day. We carry the watermelon."
He urged his dad, who was clutching the fruit tightly, not to drop it.
He added: "You got that watermelon tight boy. Don’t drop that melon boy. Don’t drop that melon."
Chavoita also appears to have direct access to his half-sisters Serena and Venus, as his children have been pictured with the two sporting legends at their tennis matches.
In his 2014 memoir “Black and White: The Way I See It,” Richard paid a gushing homage to his son, penning: "Chavoita LeSane, my son, who brought us all together and tirelessly kept this project alive when others would have faltered.
"He deserves great credit."
Meanwhile, his ex Lakeisha Williams faces losing the tennis star’s crumbling childhood home after blowing over half a million dollars in the last six years.
She and Williams have been in a messy divorce battle since 2017.
CRUMBLING HOUSE
Lakeisha also remains in a long and bitter dispute with her creditor David Simon.
On February 16, 2017, Lakeisha signed a mortgage document and allegedly forged Willaims' signature to borrow $152,000 from Simon.
She was then loaned a further $127,000 a couple of months later and only ever paid back approximately $24,000.
Lakeisha splashed the cash on a failed trucking business, according to court documents.
When Williams found out his signature had been faked on the docs, giving his wife control of the four-bed property in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, he filed for divorce, which is still ongoing.
Lakeisha claimed he had told her to sign for him.
The U.S. Sun previously highlighted how the property has fallen into a state of disrepair.
The roof appears to have been haphazardly repaired dozens of times, while there's an abandoned truck on the property.
Read More on The Sun
Love Island star swipes at Molly- Mae after she claimed show didn’t help career
I’m a housing expert – my easy tips that will help prevent condensation
And, the outbuildings on the land appear to be crumbling.
Simon has claimed that it's uninsurable – with the place being worth only half its true value of $1.4million.
Source: Read Full Article
