Custody issue brewing over Nipsey Hussle’s 10-year-old daughter

Nipsey Hussle’s sister, Samantha Smith, has filed a court petition seeking to gain legal guardianship of the late rapper’s 10-year-old daughter following his March 31 death, TMZ and The Blast are reporting.

It’s not entirely clear why Smith believes such a step is necessary, given that the girl, Emani Asghedom, has a mother, identified in reports as Hussle’s ex-girlfriend Tanisha Asghedom. Meanwhile, Hussle also is survived by his 2-year-old son, Kross, with actress Lauren London.

Sources told TMZ that Hussle was caring for Emani before he was fatally shot outside his Los Angeles clothing store. The Blast reported that Smith and others in Hussle’s family are concerned that Emani’s biological mother may not be able to provide “a stable environment” for the girl.

The 33-year-old rapper took Emani as his date to the Grammy Awards in February, where he was nominated for Best Rap Album for “Victory Lap.”

In her petition filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Smith wrote she has “always been a presence in Emani’s life and along with the rest of Emani’s paternal family has assisted in her care.” Sources added to The Blast: “Nipsey’s sister has been in his daughter’s life for years, helping raise her.”

After Hussle’s death, Smith shared an emotional tribute to the rapper on Instagram, promising she’d look after his family.

Little is publicly known about Tanisha Asghedom. Several entertainment sites said she uses Hustle’s real last name — Asghedom — as her own, even though they never married. For social media, Tanisha uses the name Chyna Hussle, a version of Hussle’s stage name.

Tanisha Asghedom tried to show herself to be in the picture by posting several tributes to Hussle following his death, including this family photo April 13.

But Tanisha Asghedom faced backlash from some Hussle fans who criticized her for proclaiming her love for the rapper when he had long ago begun his relationship with London, several sites reported.

Supporters of Tanisha Asghebom came to her defense, filling her Instagram feed with comments that expressed sorrow for Hussle’s death. People also said it was wrong that her grief was being ignored and told her to ignore “all those hateful comments.”

The entertainment site Gossiponthis.com said that Hussle and Tanisha Asghedom were in a serious relationship long before he met London, whom he began dating about five years ago. Tanisha Asghedom suggested on Instagram that she remained close to Hussle’s family, even after their breakup.

“She was with Nipsey Hussle before the world knew him, before he was a celebrity,” Dax Douglas, the owner of internet radio station Unapologetic Radio New York, wrote on Facebook. “She knew him when he had nothing and was grinding to get where he reached.”

However, Tanisha Asghedom did not appear to attend the public memorial service for Hussle at the Staples Center in Los Angeles earlier this month, possibly because she wasn’t invited, according to one report.

Smith, on the other hand, spoke at the memorial and was seen tending to Emani during the ceremony.

#NipseyHussle’s kids pic.twitter.com/PEkVZIT9wh

— BallerAlert (@balleralert) April 11, 2019

The Blast said it’s not clear why Tanisha has not declared custody, or if she is aware that Hussle’s sister is seeking to be named Emani’s guardian. TMZ reported earlier this month that Hussle, known as a savvy entrepreneur who had invested in businesses in his local community, had set up trust funds for his children to make sure they would be financially secure after his death.

Smith wants to put the guardianship in place to ensure that she can make legal custody decisions regarding Emani and “to ensure that she can continue to live with family members with whom she has always had close ties,” The Blast reported.

Hussle’s father, Dawit Asghedom, signed off on the documents, giving his blessing for Smith to be the guardian, The Blast added.