Former NBA star Dwight Howard‘s 15-year-old daughter, Layla, has petitioned courts to be able to live with her mother amid claims that her father’s drug use has created an “unsafe” living environment for his children.
Source: Jon Kopaloff / Getty
Following a vulnerable cry for help by his estranged wife, Amy Luciani, in which she claimed that the Hall of Famer’s destructive behavior had resulted in Child Protective Services being called, Howard promptly filed for divorce. He also spoke out to the allegations, saying he’s “never done coke” in his life.
However, Layla’s mother, Tiffany Render, has now spoken out about the former NBA star’s actions that led to their daughter being removed from the home. Her claims echo those of Luciani, who also alleged that Howard is manipulative, controlling and uses his resources to silence those he harms.
“3/18/26 I went to have lunch with my daughter as the last few weeks have been extremely exhausting for a 15yr old girl who simply wants to feel safe, heard, and close to her mother,” she wrote in a length Instagram post. “The photo was taken by a faculty member at the new school my daughter just started attending which is conveniently where Dwight attended from pre-k – 12th grade. This strategic move to out of nowhere enroll my baby in the exact school that her Father graduated from was another attempt to silence her.”
“When my daughter found the courage to speak up about her emotional distress, sadness, loneliness, and feeling neglected to her school counselors and coaches at her original high school, instead of being supported, her father immediately ripped her out of school & changed her phone number.
She then spoke up to her sport coaches and was immediately removed from her volleyball & basketball team by her father.Her cell phone was taken away weeks ago in attempt to disconnect her communication..When a child cries out for help, they deserve to be protected, not dismissed & hidden. What lead to the unfortunate situation on 3/5/26 was not random..it was the result of a child reaching her breaking point. I now know that this photo was calculated to give a false and fake happy family narrative..l have been silent for years. stayed out of the blogs and away from the noise. Not because I didn’t have something to say, but because I was focused on protecting my child…”
She went on to thank Amy for speaking up about what was happening in the household and also posted a signed affidavit from the Superior Court of Gwinnet County in which her daughter asked to be placed in her care. She also echoed both Luciani as well as Howard’s most famous ex, Royce Reed, in saying that the former player’s money and connections have kept him from facing the consequences of his actions.
As for Royce, she’s been busy feeling vindicated after many years of calling out Howard’s behavior and being shunned for it. Though she and Render seem to have had an amicable relationship over the years as their children are not far in age, she and Luciani had a public spat when the former first began dating Howard. She even had a few words for her following the video she posted revealing Howard’s alleged drug abuse saying,
“It’s everybody else’s fault? Wow! So, you just don’t think any of us fell for the antics either, right? None of us fell for the narcissism? Are you f**king crazy, Amy? Amber? What is it? Like, are you serious right now? You called me ‘crazy,’ right? You said I was ‘jealous,’ you said, ‘I wanted him,’ when it’s always been about the damn kids. And now you want to sit here and cry, and sit here and be like, ‘It’s because of what everybody else did to him.’ No! It’s because of what he does to people.”
Render recently claimed that her daughter “still isn’t” back with her from alleged CPS custody in the comments under a video posted to Threads.
Well, we’ll certainly be praying for the best outcome for all of the Howard kids!
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