In a recent episode of the Old-ish podcast, 50-year-old actor Brian Austin Green opened up about the challenges he has faced in co-parenting with his ex-partner, 54-year-old Vanessa Marcil, and accused her of hindering his ability to see their 21-year-old son, Kassius, during a health battle.
Green and Marcil’s tumultuous relationship began when they met on the set of the ’90s TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, and eventually ended in 2003 after four years together. Their custody arrangements over Kassius were a subject of contention for years when he was a minor.
During the podcast episode, Green, who is currently in a relationship with Dancing with the Stars alum Sharna Burgess, revealed that he had been suffering from vertigo for an extended period, making it challenging for him to spend time with Kassius. Burgess said that Green’s health condition had persisted “for years” and made it “very difficult” for him to maintain regular contact with his son.
“Those years that he wasn’t able to go see Kassius, Vanessa made no effort to make sure Brian got time with him,” Burgess claimed of her boyfriend’s ex. “Instead, she painted him as an absent father who chose not to be around for him. And I’m sure that information was fed to Kass, and I can’t imagine how damaging that was for him.”
Marcil has consistently maintained that she raised their son alone. In February, Green publicly challenged her claim, prompting Marcil to respond with a cryptic Instagram post about telling the truth. Green contended that Marcil was well aware of the difficulties he faced during his health battle.
“To then find out after the fact that at the point when I started getting better, that she then was painting it that I had abandoned Kass during that time, when the reality was I was dealing with such brain fog in what I was going through,” he explained during the podcast.
During his recovery from vertigo, Green likened his experience to that of a stroke survivor, as he had to relearn basic functions such as walking, talking, and writing. He expressed that it would have meant a great deal to him if Marcil had taken steps to ensure Kassius could still visit and spend time with him during his illness.
ET has reached out to Marcil for comment.
After his separation from Marcil, Green married Megan Fox in June 2010, with whom he shares three sons: Noah, 10, Bodhi, 9, and Journey, 7. Although Fox filed for divorce in August 2015, the couple reconciled less than a year later. However, in 2020, Green revealed that they had separated once again, and they have since divorced.
Green noted on the podcast that when he first began dating Fox in 2004, they made a concerted effort to provide Kassius with a stable and normal home life, but encountered numerous challenges due to Marcil’s involvement.
In contrast to his co-parenting experience with Marcil, Green praised his co-parenting relationship with Fox, describing it as “incredibly fortunate.” He emphasized that they communicate well and are open to compromise for the sake of their children’s well-being.
“We co-parent really well together,” Green said. “When we need to, we communicate really well, we are open to things, we don’t take things personally. It is my goal, and I think it’s her goal as well, that the kids are in as healthy an environment as they can be in.”
Burgess also chimed in, expressing her belief that she and Fox co-parent “really well” due to their positive relationship. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing effective communication and maintaining a positive atmosphere for their children.
A source told ET back in October that there’s nothing but respect between Fox and Green when it comes to co-parenting. The source said Fox and her fiancé, Machine Gun Kelly, have “blended together” with Green and Burgess.
“Megan, Machine Gun Kelly, Brian, and Sharna are all cordial,” the source shared at the time, adding that “Megan and Brian have a healthy co-parenting relationship.”
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