The rocker has paid child support since 1995, although the plaintiff is seeking more money.
DOVER, N.H. (AP) – Ted Nugent, a 1970s rock star who has been sued for child support and custody, is demanding proof that a child born to a Dover woman eight years ago is his son.
Nugent’s lawyer filed a request in Strafford County Superior Court this week for DNA testing in response to a child support and custody lawsuit filed last month by Karen Gutowski, 42. The court had not ruled on the request by Wednesday.
Nugent, 54, has paid minimal child support since the boy was born in 1995, even though they have never met, according to Gutowski’s lawyer, Jeffrey Runge. Runge claims it is far less than Nugent can afford.
Nugent’s lawyer, Charles Douglas, said in the motion the DNA results should be sealed to protect the child from “embarrassment or ridicule from his schoolmates, neighbors and others who may take an interest in this case because of the status of Mr. Nugent as an entertainer.”
Nugent has sold millions of albums.
He is a renowned hunting enthusiast, member of the National Rifle Association’s board of directors and host of a new reality television show on VH1, “Surviving Nugent,” that takes place on his Concord, Mich., ranch.
He also is an outspoken critic of drugs and alcohol; is a spokesman for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Big Brothers and Sisters; creator and host of the “Ted Nugent Commando” radio show in Detroit; author of several books, including “Kill It and Grill It”, and owner of a beef jerky company and a video production business.
Nugent was named Michigan Conservationist of the Year in 1999 and has been named Father of the Year at his child’s school, according to a biography on TedNugent.com.
Nugent has two children with his wife, Shemane Nugent.
Nugent was served with court documents, informing him of the suit during the summer when he played at the Meadowbrook Amphitheater in Gilford.
Attempts to reach Gutowski were unsuccessful, but Runge has said she had a “brief relationship” with Nugent.
“I believe it had something to do with his music and her being a fan at some point,” Runge has said.
AP-ES-10-01-03 1623EDT
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