Hunter Biden’s personal drama took center stage Tuesday after the mother of his youngest child asked an Arkansas judge to jail the former first son for allegedly defying a court-ordered child support agreement. The filing marks the latest escalation in a years-long legal dispute that has repeatedly drawn national attention to Biden family conduct.
Lunden Roberts, the mother of 7-year-old Navy Joan Roberts, accused Hunter Biden of ignoring a 2023 settlement meant to provide consistent support. “It’s because of Mr. Biden’s antics that we find ourselves back before this court,” the motion states. Roberts urged the judge to “incarcerate him in the Independence County Detention Center as a civil penalty until he purges his contempt by complying with this court’s order.”
Under the 2023 agreement, Biden reduced his monthly payments from $20,000 to $5,000 and pledged proceeds from specific art sales, along with several paintings, to support his daughter. Roberts now argues those promises never materialized and says Biden has continued to distance himself from the child, causing emotional harm she described as “baffling.”
For years, Biden resisted acknowledging Navy Joan Roberts and opposed her using the Biden surname. Only after sustained legal pressure and public scrutiny did former president Joe Biden publicly recognize her as his granddaughter in July 2023. “We only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy,” Biden told People magazine, adding, “this is not a political issue, it’s a family matter.”
That statement followed mounting criticism of the former Biden White House’s efforts to avoid mentioning the president’s seventh grandchild. The New York Times later detailed the legal battle that forced Hunter Biden to confirm paternity through DNA testing. Soon after, columnist Maureen Dowd sharpened the spotlight with a column titled, “It’s Seven Grandkids, Mr. President.”
The court has not yet ruled on the motion, but the filing ensures Hunter Contempt will remain a legal and political flashpoint.
