The Josh Sanders custody battle has turned messy, with the former ‘The Voice’ finalist and his estranged wife Kendra fighting over their three children after splitting in January 2026.
Josh, who came second on the singing competition two years ago, is now spending his energy in family court rather than on stage, as reported by TMZ.
He says in his filings that he should have custody because his ex is trying to turn the kids against him.
What the Josh Sanders custody battle is about
The split happened back in January, and things have not exactly cooled down since. Josh claims Kendra is blocking him from co-parenting and slowly poisoning his relationship with their three children, painting himself as the parent being shut out of his kids’ lives.
Kendra tells a very different story. In her own filings she alleges Josh is an “active alcoholic” who she says “drank away” his professional opportunities after that runner-up finish, and she goes further, claiming he has driven drunk with the kids in the car and been violent in front of them.
None of those allegations have been tested or proven in court, and both sides are presenting their own version of events.
What is on record is that this has moved well past a quiet private separation into a public, document-heavy fight over who the children live with.
Where the Josh Sanders custody battle goes next
The paper trail keeps growing. According to arrest records, Josh was taken in during April for allegedly violating a domestic violence temporary restraining order, and earlier this month he filed a trespassing complaint against Kendra, so the two are clearly still clashing well beyond the custody question itself.
It is a long way from the feel-good story fans followed on the show, where Josh was the small-town singer chasing a big break.
Two years on, the headlines are about restraining orders and custody filings rather than blind auditions and live-show performances, which is a rough turn for anyone who rooted for him.
What makes this one so combustible is how fast it has escalated. In the space of a few months it has gone from a private separation to arrest records, restraining orders and trespassing complaints, the kind of pile-up that tends to drag a custody fight out far longer than either parent might want.
For now the case sits with the family court, where a judge will weigh the competing claims and decide on custody of the three children.
Until that ruling lands, expect more filings from both camps, because neither Josh nor Kendra is showing any sign of backing down.
