Tammy Lynn Michaels says she has a
newfound respect for Melissa Etheridge's former partner after her
break up with the rocker.
Last April, Etheridge split from
Michaels, her partner of 9 years. In separate filings to end their
California domestic partnership, each claim “irreconcilable
differences.” Etheridge is asking the court for joint custody of
the couple's twin 5-year-old children, son Miller and daughter
Johnnie Rose. Michaels, who gave birth to the twins, says she wants
full custody of the children with visitation rights for Etheridge.
The separation has turned messy. One
recent TMZ.com headline read: MELISSA ETHERIDGE'S EX-GF I Can't Live
On $23,000 a Month!”
In an interview with lesbian
entertainment website AfterEllen.com,
Michaels explained her request for $177,000 in child support, saying
she “gave up $100,000 a month” to stay at home.
Etheridge “wouldn't take off from her
music stuff to allow me to do TV or movies,” Michaels said. “She
implored me to be home. I hate to think, 'Oh, I gave up my career,'
because you know what? That would subtract from how much it meant to
raise the kids.”
And Michaels described Etheridge as the
Titanic.
When asked if she had a relationship
with Etheridge's previous partner, Julie Cypher, Michaels said no,
then added that she had “respect for [Cypher] in a way that I
didn't understand I would. I feel like we both survived the Titanic.
We're just in different lifeboats.”