After eighteen months of court proceedings, a Springfield-area man has been granted sole custody of “Brad Jr.,” the sourdough starter he and his ex-wife began cultivating together during the early days of their marriage. The ruling, handed down Tuesday, marks what legal experts are calling an unprecedented case in family court history.
According to court documents, both parties argued passionately for visitation rights, with the ex-wife claiming she was the one who fed Brad Jr. every morning while her husband “just took credit for the crust.” The judge ultimately sided with the husband after he presented seven years of feeding logs, a humidity-controlled travel case, and testimony from three separate bread enthusiasts who described his sourdough as “structurally sound” and “showing real emotional maturity for a fermented dough colony.”
“This was never about the bread,” said family law attorney Denise Pruitt, who represented the husband. “This was about who truly nurtured that starter through its formative years. My client fed it twice daily, even during the honeymoon. That’s dedication most marriages don’t get.” Pruitt added that her client has already begun rebuilding his life, reportedly naming a new rye starter “Hope” as a symbolic fresh start.
The ex-wife’s attorney has filed an appeal, arguing that Brad Jr. “contains cultures from both households” and should legally be considered joint property. Meanwhile, neighbors report the sourdough starter appears unaffected by the proceedings and continues to double in size every eight hours, blissfully unaware of the legal precedent it has become.
