McKenna West is facing a second custody battle as her dispute over the baby she carried as a surrogate continues to unfold. Robert Gross, the father of West's biological son Cassius, has filed an Alaska custody petition seeking sole decision-making authority for their child and asking that West's contact with him be supervised.
The new case adds another child to an already extraordinary family court saga. In his filing, Gross alleges that West is not mentally stable enough to share decision-making responsibility for Cassius. Those claims are allegations contained in a court petition and have not been established as fact by a judge.
A Second Child Is Now at the Centre of the Legal Fight
Gross filed the petition in Alaska on 2 September 2026, stating that he and West were never married but share a son, Cassius, who was born in 2021. He is asking the court to give him sole authority over major decisions concerning their child. Gross also claims West took Cassius to Texas and has not returned with him.
In the petition, Gross alleges that West went to Texas to avoid legal troubles in Alaska and raises concerns about her recent conduct and ability to make decisions concerning their son. The filing represents a separate custody dispute from West's ongoing legal battle involving the newborn she carried as a surrogate.
Gross Wants West's Contact With Cassius Supervised
The petition goes beyond a request for sole decision-making authority. Gross has also asked that West's visits with Cassius be supervised, meaning any contact could be subject to oversight if a court grants his request. Gross alleges in his filing that West is not mentally stable enough to share decision-making responsibility for Cassius.
That is Gross's allegation, rather than a judicial finding or established medical fact. The filing itself does not mean a court has accepted his claims, and the custody dispute remains subject to the legal process.
Her Other Custody Fight Involves a Newborn
The latest petition comes while West remains at the centre of a separate dispute involving a baby she carried as a surrogate for Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. West has said the intended parents wanted the pregnancy terminated after doctors discovered the baby had a serious heart defect. Gilkar and Ahmed have disputed parts of West's account, including allegations about their position on the baby's medical care.
West continued the pregnancy, and the disagreement subsequently developed into a multistate legal dispute over custody and parental rights involving Alaska, California and Texas. Following court action, the newborn was placed in the temporary custody of Gilkar and Ahmed and is being cared for by them. The dispute over the child's legal status and parental rights has nevertheless continued through the courts.
The Baby Has a Serious Heart Condition
The newborn has been reported to have hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious congenital condition in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped. The baby was born in Dallas on 12 August 2026 and underwent the Norwood procedure on 17 August, according to statements from the intended parents' legal team.
West has referred to the baby as Gabriel, while Gilkar and Ahmed have used the name Rumi. Because the child's parentage and custody remain disputed, neither name should be presented as uncontested. Gilkar and Ahmed said through their lawyer that they had authorised the surgery after consulting doctors and described the baby's condition as critical and complex. They have also asked for privacy surrounding the child's medical treatment.
Two Children Now Sit at the Centre of Two Battles
The striking part of the latest development is that the two legal disputes concern two different children. In one case, West is involved in a fight over the legal and parental status of the baby she carried as a surrogate. In the other, Cassius's father is seeking sole decision-making authority and supervised contact for West.
Gross's petition adds another layer to West's already complicated legal situation, but his claims about her mental stability, her move to Texas and her conduct remain allegations contained in a court filing. The Alaska court will now consider Gross's requests concerning custody, decision-making and contact with Cassius.
