Misty Copeland

In late 1998, a custody controversy occurred involving Copeland. The case was highly publicized in the press (especially Los Angeles Times and Extra), starting in August and September 1998. Parts of the press coverage spilled over into op-ed articles. In the case, which was heard in Torrance in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, DelaCerna claimed that the Bradleys had brainwashed Copeland into filing suit for emancipation from her mother, and DelaCerna, who was represented by Gloria Allred, filed a series of restraining orders against Bartell, the lawyer who filed the emancipation charges on behalf of her daughter. Allred claimed that the Bradleys had turned Copeland against her mother by belittling DelaCerna's intelligence. The Bradleys were not intimidated by the suits and said they were willing to enforce the management contract, which gave them authority and rights to twenty percent of Copeland's earnings until she became eighteen, via the legal system.
After DelaCerna stated that she would always make sure Copeland could dance, the emancipation papers and restraining orders were dropped. Even though she had dropped the temporary restraining order request, DelaCerna wanted the Bradleys out of her daughter's life. Later in 1998, Copeland, who claimed she did not even understand the term emancipation, withdrew the request after informing the judge that such charges no longer represented her wishes. Eventually, Copeland re-enrolled at San Pedro High School on pace to be a part of her original class of 2000 and began ballet study with Lauridsen Ballet Centre, although it was now restricted to afternoons in deference to her schooling. Afterward, all parties appeared on Leeza Gibbons' Leeza show. In 2000, DelaCerna stated that Copeland's earnings from ballet were set aside in a savings account and only used as needed.