'Real Housewives' Star Gets Custody After Claiming Hubby Choked Their Son

The Adrienne Maloof-Paul Nassif Breakup Just Keeps Getting Uglier

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Adrienne Maloof has been awarded temporary custody of her three sons with estranged husband -- and fellow RH star -- Paul Nassif, after she told a judge Nassif choked one of the children last week.

The legal move is just the latest ugly happening in the increasingly hostile divorce for the reality TV stars, who have accused each other of physical violence since their marriage started to officially unravel earlier this year.

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The alleged choking incident happened last week, TMZ.com reports. Maloof's attorney filed a statement Maloof wrote on Wednesday, in which she said Nassif picked up their three sons -- Gavin, 9, and six-year-old twins Christian and Collin -- from school on Sept. 13.

While in the car, two of the boys began kicking each other, and Nassif, Maloof says, turned around and choked one of the kids around his Adam's apple.

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Later that day, the children were taking a bath together and began fighting again (after one of them peed in the tub, she says), and Nassif spanked one of them on his bare butt and "threw him in the corner."

TMZ also reports the Maloof/Nassif household chef filed a declaration saying he saw Nassif kick the family dog after it peed on the floor, while a mutual friend of the couple, who is also a DEA agent, filed a declaration saying he saw Nassif put his hands around the neck of one of his sons.

Nassif denies all the charges, and wasn't present for the hearing. He and his attorney were not aware the hearing was happening, TMZ reports.

"This smacks of underhandedness," Nassif's attorney, Lisa Meyer, told TMZ. "Adrienne wasn't even present when this allegedly occurred.

"It is a sad day when parents have to stoop to the level of making false allegations against another parent," Meyer said, calling the surprise hearing "gamesmanship at its worst."

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Maloof and Nassif often snapped at each other on RH, but gave no indication on the Bravo show that their relationship might involve physical violence towards each other or their children.

The couple was married in 2002, in front of 500 guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Nassif is a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, while Maloof's family owns the Sacramento Kings NBA team and the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.