Australian singer and songwriter Sia is facing a heated custody battle with her estranged husband, Dan Bernad, who has filed for sole custody of their 19-month-old child, Somersault Wonder Bernad, affectionately called “Summi.”
According to court documents filed on Monday, October 27, Bernad alleged that the 49-year-old musician is “an unfit and unreliable parent struggling with substance abuse and addiction.”
In her response filed the following day, Tuesday, October 28, Sia disputed the claims, asserting that she has been “fully sober for over six months.”
“I have been fully sober for over six months and working my program, which includes weekly testing and a sober companion,” her filing read.
“My recovery has been a cornerstone of my life and one of the primary reasons I chose to separate from Dan, whose ongoing engagement in a nightlife and recreational drug-use lifestyle is incompatible with a healthy environment for our child.”
Bernad, however, argued that Sia rarely took on a primary caregiving role for their son, claiming she “delegated nearly all child-rearing responsibilities to a revolving team of nannies” and maintained “control from a distance.”
“This dynamic in Sia’s house and the control she exerted put Summi at the center of a one-sided and highly managed environment,” Bernad alleged.
He further claimed that Sia’s home was often filled with staff, collaborators, and friends who competed for time with their child, limiting his own access.
Sia, in her response, rejected those assertions, insisting that Summi has “always been in my primary care and custody.” She further claimed that Bernad has never spent more than two hours with their son at a time and that his visits were always supervised due to an LAPD and Department of Child and Family Services investigation into alleged possession of child pornography.
While acknowledging that the investigation was “inconclusive and closed,” Sia maintained that it does not “appease [her] concerns of Summi spending unsupervised time with Dan.”
Bernad has denied “any involvement with this alleged contraband,” claiming that the hard drive at the center of the investigation was “planted” by Sia and her team. He alleged that Sia’s assistant and friend discovered the drive in a storage unit he never visited.
In addition to full custody, Bernad is requesting that Sia undergo regular drug testing, attend co-parenting classes for six months, and have monitored visitation three times per week for two hours.
Bernad, who stated he has been unemployed since April 2025, also requested $77,245 per month in child support, along with coverage of all medical, educational, and childcare expenses.
“As of April 1, 2025, I have been unemployed and have no source of income because Sia ceased all funding of our joint venture, Modem Medicine, including my salary,” Bernad wrote, adding that he is “totally financially dependent” on Sia.
The “Chandelier” singer countered that Bernad’s demands are financially motivated, noting that she has already paid him $300,000 since their separation in March.
“To date, every request by Dan for additional custodial time has been directly tied to financial gain rather than a genuine effort to foster a meaningful parental relationship with Summi,” she wrote.
Earlier this month, Bernad also filed a separate petition seeking $250,856 per month in spousal support, $300,000 for legal fees, and $200,000 for forensic accounting fees.
