journalism16

I agree with what you are saying, but if you remember in Season 2, Hakeem had just escaped from that van after he was kidnapped, and yes, I agree that he was extremely irresponsible when he got her pregnant, but you also have to remember that he wasn't thinking clearly either, because he had just been kidnapped. And I definitely agree that Anika should have known better, and we also have to remember that Bella came along out of desperation for both of them. If you look at episode six in Season 2, Anika was talking to her mother about having no one and she said that she wouldn't be fine, and Hakeem was waiting for her, and if Anika really thought about it, if she felt like she had no one and nothing, than it would have made more sense if she went home to her parents, but she wasn't thinking about that. After telling the family and a very surprised Hakeem that she was pregnant, she told them that she wanted to make amends, and in Season 3, she wanted Cookie to take care of Bella in case she had to go into the Witness Protection Program, and then she goes to the Dubois family and has deliberately handed Bella over to them, and when they have lunch, she cries profusely after her daughter has been in the care of the Dubois family, and she wanted people to believe that she had no idea where her daughter was, when she knew all along? And Hakeem ended up following her, he knew she was being stupid and she cannot be trusted, when this plan has been manipulated by her all along.

I definitely agree with everything you said in the post especially about the ugly. I agree with everything you said about Anika. She has some nerve asking for sole custody of their daughter and Hakeem deserves to have custody of her. She has left a sour taste in my mouth since Season 2, and she has greatly annoyed me since Season 1, save for Hakeem as well. She does not deserve custody of their daughter, but Hakeem definitely does.

I agree with everything you said about the guest stars. I think she is just being what she is supposed to be as a character, and that is to help Lucious and possibly fall in love with him? But who knows if that will happen. But soon, she will go away when he regains his full and complete memory, and she won't be needed.

I agree with everything you said, except the last part. Who else is supposed to be raising Bella when her mother can't be trusted with anything, as far as you can throw her, and Cookie can't help raise her when she is trying to run Empire and everyone is trying to help Lucious in any way they can. Hakeem doesn't trust Anika anyway, given everything that's happened, and he shouldn't. Tiana is being very supportive of Hakeem raising his daughter while not trying to come in between Hakeem and Anika's ability to co-parent Bella. So I think Bella is in good hands with Hakeem and Tiana right now.

Everything Anika has done is deplorable, and she shouldn't have custody of Bella after having killed Andre and Rhonda's son, and then Rhonda herself. She deserves absolutely nothing, and I hope Hakeem gets sole custody of their daughter.