Television personality Marc Nelson broke his silence to explain his decision to testify against his former co-host and friend, Maggie Wilson, in a custody battle with her estranged husband, Victor Consunji.
In a series of Instagram stories on Wednesday, Marc Nelson addressed his side of the story after facing backlash and criticism from netizens over his involvement in the case.
Earlier, Wilson revealed that the court had denied Consunji's petition for a temporary and permanent protection order under the Violence Against Women and Children Act (VAWC) of 2004, which sought to keep their son away from her.
She later revealed that Nelson supported Consunji's petition, claiming that Wilson's social media posts caused emotional distress and psychological harm to their son.
In his defense, Nelson explained that he intentionally avoided getting involved in the former couple's dispute, stating that he only testified out of concern for their son, who is also his godson.
"My only concern regarding this matter is the welfare of their son, who happens to be my godson. He has already experienced many changes in his life and, unfortunately, has to navigate them publicly," Nelson stated.
"At his age, he is beginning to build his identity and form new connections in school and within his community, which makes these public stories potentially harmful in the long run," he added.
He mentioned that during a 'one-on-one conversation' with the child, the child admitted feeling upset by Wilson’s social media posts about him in the midst of the dispute between his parents.
Moreover, the child allegedly expressed that the posts made him feel uncomfortable, as they drew unwanted attention and questions from both peers and adults—attention he neither liked nor wanted.
Nelson explained that this was the reason he decided to testify, claiming that he merely conveyed to the judge exactly what the child had said, without any alterations.
"This was for the express reason to have those particular posts about him stop and preserve his well-being," said Nelson.
In closing, Nelson stated that he does not plan to say anything further on the matter out of respect for his godson’s wishes.
He then urged the media to do the same by refraining from mentioning the child’s name or making any references to him in future articles about his parents.
