TV Host David Tutera Splits Up Twins in Custody Agreement

September 16, 2013: TV Host David Tutera Splits Up Twins in Custody Agreement

The “My Fair Wedding” TV Host David Tutera, 47, and his husband of 10 years, Ryan Jurica, 35, broke up in early 2013, and have now reached a temporary custody agreementfor their twins, born in July. Tutera explained that the atypical arrangement is due to the unconventional conception of the twins. “We transferred two embryos into the surrogate: One was biologically mine, my daughter Cielo; one was biologically his, his son. When we were going through the process of divorce, we decided to make sure that I had custody of my daughter and he had custody of his son.” Although the host and his long-term partner want the children to have a relationship with each other, Tutera decided it would take time until he and his ex-spouse are capable of providing a calm mutual environment for the children’s visits. “I have no right to not have them know each other, but I can protect my daughter about when that time is the right time. My responsibility right now is to get through a divorce and protect and guide and nurture my daughter.” The couple split prior to the birth of the twins, on New Year’s Day 2013.

Tutera filed to dissolve their domestic partnership in Los Angeles in April, citing “irreconcilable differences” and seeking full custody of both children, allowing visitation but denying spousal support, and asking Jurica to pay legal fees related to the divorce. Jurica filed his own documents just two days prior to Tutera’s filing, asking for full custody and financial support, claiming that his partner was a sex addict and “engaged in a pattern of hiring sex escorts and prostitutes to support his addiction.& According to Tutera, their relationship had been unstable for several years. “We went through with (having kids) in hopes that the relationship would get better and that having a family would make it better.” Although having children did not help their relationship, Tutera is committed to moving past the pain and being a good parent. Ryan Jurica says that he would rather keep the twins together, and that splitting the children is just a temporary measure until the final custodyagreement is decided.

Tutera explains how as the host of “My Fair Wedding” he knows the vision all brides have of what happiness is, “and the odds are that it doesn’t happen. I’m one of the statisticsnow.” He is committed to being a parent, regardless of the outcome of the divorce and custody agreement. “‘There’s something very enlightening about being a single father,’ he concluded. ‘Cielo brings me incredible joy.”