George Lazenby enlists long-lost daughter in custody fight

Former James Bond actor George Lazenby is hoping evidence from a long-lost daughter will help him in his bitter divorce and child custody battle with estranged wife Pam Shriver by depicting him as a "loving, caring parent" - reports The Telegraph.

The 69-year-old Australian-born star is battling a host of allegations including claims by Miss Shriver that he was an abusive alcoholic with "severe anger management issues" who once gave their three young children alcohol and threatened to kill her.

In addition, Mr Lazenby's first wife, publishing heiress Christina Master, and their daughter Melanie Lazenby, 34, have bolstered Miss Shriver's case by claiming in court papers that the actor was an angry drunk who emotionally and physically abused them.

The former 007 actor has denied all the claims and in his own court filings accused Miss Shriver of being hooked on a "nightly cocktail" of prescription drugs and incapable of caring for their three young children without a team of nannies.

Earlier this month, a judge granted the five-time Wimbledon doubles champion temporary custody of George, four, and three-year-old twins Kaitlin and Sam and imposed a temporary restraining order on Mr Lazenby.

The actor, via his spokesman and friend Michael Sands, said his daughter, Jennifer Lazenby, 46, a dance instructor in Perth, Australia, would be filing a declaration supporting her father's bid for joint equal custody and a lifting of the restraining order

"I believe the children would be amazingly fortunate to have my dad as their father as he can pass on to them a sense of who they are that will empower them," Miss Lazenby said in a statement. "What child can't benefit from a loving caring parent that continuously shows them pride in every thing he does and says. You can see it in his eyes it's coming from his heart and soul."

She added: "Neither parent is perfect but they are both good caring people that love their children. My siblings need both their parents equally, they don't need any more exaggerations and name calling, they do however need to be able to grow up respecting both parents and their good names."

Miss Lazenby was born after a liaison between Mr Lazenby, then a 21-year-old car salesman, and Maureen Powell, an Australian Army sergeant and PE instructor at an officer training school, Mr Sands said.

The former Bond actor, who played the secret agent in the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, said he discovered Jennifer was his daughter when she was 27. "Jennifer is loved as all my children are, with all I've got," he said in a statement.

Miss Lazenby, the mother of an eight-year-old, said when she finally met her father he accepted her “immediately” and “unconditionally” with “always made me feel a part of his family”.

She described how he had helped her through a breast cancer scare and recently been in daily contact after she suffered a knee injury despite the “pressure he is under with this divorce”.

The eldest of the actor's five children added that although he was not “your typical Bill Cosby kind of father” and “the word diplomatic was obviously taken out of his DNA”, he was “very protective of his children, especially the three little ones”.

He is “the kind of father you want to have around when you're hurting , feeling bad and need support,” she said. “You couldn't find any father better!”

The actor married Miss Shriver, 46, in 2002. Their legal troubles kicked off last month when tennis star-turned-commentator filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences".

In court papers responding to her husband's claims Miss Shriver denied "every single allegation that I am ever anything but cognisant and able to function well in all areas".

The pair are due back in court on October 15.

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