Desiree Perez’s legal battle with her daughter took an unexpected turn after a federal judge found that Demoree Hadley deliberately destroyed evidence.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom issued sanctions against Hadley on Oct. 12, concluding that deleted messages, photos, videos and an alleged listening device should have been preserved.
“Hadley deleted the content from her phone and turned over only what she thought was relevant,” Bloom wrote. “Therefore, spoliation exists, warranting sanctions.”
Bloom ordered jurors to presume the missing materials would have supported the Roc Nation CEO’s position and undermined Hadley’s allegations, but the judge allowed Hadley’s remaining claims to proceed.
Hadley v. Perez Update: New Sworn Declaration From Javon Hadley’s Mother Tawana Houston, the mother of Javon Hadley and mother in law of Demoree Hadley, has submitted a 13 page sworn declaration containing 124 numbered paragraphs in support of Demoree’s opposition to Desiree Perez’s motion to strike portions of her declaration. Houston states that she has known Demoree for approximately 14 years, considers her a daughter and has maintained a close relationship with her throughout the events underlying this litigation. Several portions of her testimony stood out. Demoree’s Mental Health and Alleged Behavioral Changes Houston disputes Perez’s characterization of Demoree’s deteriorating mental health. She states that throughout their relationship, she never personally witnessed Demoree abusing drugs or alcohol, expressing suicidal thoughts, experiencing hallucinations or exhibiting behavior that caused her to believe Demoree needed psychiatric hospitalization. She also disputes allegations about Demoree’s deteriorating appearance and hygiene, describing her as consistently well groomed, intelligent, responsible and composed. James Fondo and the Landscaping Business Houston provides a detailed account of Javon and Demoree’s dealings with James Fondo and his son, James Michael Fondo, dating back to approximately 2018. She states that Fondo approached the couple about purchasing landscaping contracts through B Cool Lawn Maintenance and that Perez offered to assist with reviewing business proposals and documents. Houston alleges the couple eventually became suspicious of the arrangements, particularly after discovering that an LLC Perez allegedly created for their landscaping business excluded Javon from the ownership paperwork. She states: “It was not until years later we all discovered the meetings with James Fondo and his Son, were not legit and were attempts of Desiree Perez to harass my Son and Daughter in law and control my Daughter in law.” See replies for more Declaration of Javon Hadley’s mother: https://t.co/lUr3j0CL9J
— ComeWithFacts (@ComeWithFacts) October 15, 2026
During testimony, Hadley admitted to deleting more than 130,000 photos and videos, saying she needed phone storage. She also said she wiped her iCloud account to prevent what she believed was unauthorized access.
In May 2025, she sued Perez, alleging her mother improperly arranged for her confinement in mental health facilities for nearly two weeks using Florida’s involuntary treatment laws.
Hadley claimed her mother wanted to separate her from her husband, Javon Hadley.
Perez denied the allegations, insisting she acted out of concern for her daughter’s well-being. She also accused Javon of abuse, allegations he and Hadley have denied.
