Sia Plans To Testify At Spousal Support And Custody Hearing As Court Filings Reveal She Will Be A Primary Witness
The next hearing in court is a pretty big deal for singer Sia.
She is about to testify in a case involving spousal support and custody of her child from her divorce with Daniel Bernad.
According to court records obtained by TMZ, the artist with multiple Grammy nominations is the main witness. The court anticipates hearing her for about 2 hours, during which she will be questioned about custody, visitation, child support, and legal fees, among other matters.
Besides herself, Sia will also put up Bernad, a radiation oncologist, for cross-examination. Moreover, accountant Tracy Katz will be there to speak about financial matters and child support.
The legal battle stems from the couple's messy divorce and custody dispute over their young son, Somersault, nicknamed "Summi." Bernad's filings allege Sia's "serious and immediate" substance abuse issues make her an unfit parent, claims she strongly disputes.
Contesting Allegations of Substance Abuse
According to USA Today, Sia's court documents, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, push back against Bernad's allegations, calling them "unfounded and misleading" and describing the claims as "an attempt to weaponize my past sobriety journey."
She acknowledges past struggles, noting, "It is true that I struggled with drug and alcohol issues more than fifteen years ago. I have been fully sober for over six months and working my program which includes weekly testing and a sober companion."
Bernad also requested the court compel additional drug testing and sought monitored visitation, along with $77,245 per month in child support, claiming he is "totally financially dependent on Sia."
In response, Sia's team highlighted that she has already contributed approximately $300,000 since the couple separated in March.
Safety and Custody Concerns
Sia's filings assert that Summi "has been and remains safe in Sia's custody" and challenge Bernad's fitness as a father, arguing he "has not demonstrated the ability, or even basic familiarity, necessary to meet the developmental, emotional, or daily care needs of a child."
The custody dispute intensified after Bernad raised concerns about "inappropriate images" allegedly found on a hard drive in a storage unit he claimed he had never visited.
Sia countered that she and her employees had acquired the device, and she emphasized that both the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services deemed the investigation "inconclusive" and eventually closed it due to a lack of evidence.
"While I understand the investigations of LAPD and DCFS have been inconclusive and now closed, this does not appease my concerns of Summi spending unsupervised time with Dan," Sia wrote in her court declaration.
Hearing Scheduled for January 2026
It will be discussed on January 14, 2026, and, among other things, is expected to go very deep into issues of custody and finances.
Legal experts say that the evidence given by Sia may be the turning point, especially in light of the fact that Bernad has accused Sia of abusing substances in the past. At the same time, Sia has alleged that Bernad is under investigation for possession of child pornography.
High-profile divorce attorney Laura Wasser represents Sia, often referred to as a "disso queen" in entertainment reporting.
Originally published on Music Times
