Carl Crawford
Los Angeles Dodgers star Carl Crawford claims that baby mama Amy Freeman is only trying to move to California to take advantage of the state's favorable child support laws. Wikipedia Commons

Los Angeles Dodgers star Carl Crawford is reportedly engaged in a heated custody dispute with his baby mama, Amy Freeman.

Crawford, 32, is reportedly seeking to bar Freeman from moving to California, TMZ reports. Freeman is the mother of Crawford’s nine-year-old son and five-month-old daughter.

In legal documents obtained by TMZ, Crawford claims that his baby mama uprooted their family from a home in Arizona under the pretense of moving the children closer to their father in California. Crawford asserts that Freeman only wishes to live in California due to the state’s more favorable child support laws, which would enable her to demand a larger share of the MLB star’s earnings.

Freeman reportedly took the couple’s young daughter out of school and placed her Arizona home on the real estate market, TMZ reports. If Crawford’s legal maneuvering is successful, a judge may rule Freeman must stay out of California.

This isn’t the first time that a professional athlete has accused an estranged significant other of attempting to manipulate child support laws. In May, Los Angeles Lakers star Steve Nash accused his ex-wife, Alejandra Amarilla, of a similar move, TMZ reports.

Regardless of the outcome of the legal proceedings, the leaked court documents may have implications on Crawford’s rumored relationship with reality television star Evelyn Lozada. Earlier this month, the “Basketball Wives” star revealed that she was six-months pregnant with Crawford’s child. However, the court documents claim that Freeman is five-months pregnant by Crawford, and it’s unclear if Lozada is aware of that situation.

In 2010, Crawford signed a 7-year, $142 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. He was traded to the Dodgers in the middle of the 2012 MLB season.