Gionis Wins Right to More Visits With Daughter Anastasia

Thomas A. Gionis, the orthopedic surgeon who is accused of masterminding an assault on his ex-wife, was granted extended visits Thursday with the couple’s 2-year-old daughter despite a court-appointed psychologist’s testimony that Gionis’ overbearing style could cause problems for the child.

“I’ve seen kids and parents together for 15 years,” child psychologist W. Russell Johnson said. “But I’ve never seen the kind of overwhelming demands on a child the father is willing to place on this child.”

Johnson was appointed last month by Orange County Superior Court Judge Ronald E. Owen to evaluate toddler Anastasia Pilar Gionis in the ongoing custody dispute between the wealthy Pomona surgeon and Aissa Wayne, the daughter of film legend John Wayne. Owen also appointed an attorney, Judi Curtin, to represent the girl’s interests in the tug of war.

Temporary Custody

Gionis had custody of the child until April, when he was arrested on charges of masterminding an attack last October on Wayne and companion Roger Luby at Luby’s Newport Beach estate. Judge Owen gave Wayne temporary custody of Anastasia, saying he would review custody again after Gionis’ criminal trial--now scheduled to begin in October--is out of the way.

At Thursday’s hearing, Owen granted Gionis’ request for changes in the custody arrangement, but left Wayne with primary custody.

Gionis and his attorney, Ronald Cordova, have claimed that the girl is suffering from “separation trauma” because she was removed from her father. At the hearing, the lawyer also questioned whether the psychologist misunderstood the relationship between the girl and her father, and he suggested that any problems might be caused by the time pressures of short visits.

Now, Gionis is allowed to see Anastasia about eight days a month, with no overnight stays, and only in the presence of a monitor--a retired or off-duty police officer, whose job it is to see that Gionis does not abscond with the girl. Authorities feared that Gionis was preparing to travel to Greece with his daughter just before his arrest.

Lawyer’s Agreement

Anastasia’s lawyer, Curtin, requested that Wayne retain primary custody of the girl. But she agreed with Cordova that Gionis should have visits longer than the 10-hour stays he is now allowed.

Psychologist Johnson asked for a standard county schedule of every other weekend and one afternoon a week. In his testimony and in a 15-page report submitted to the court, Johnson said Gionis frustrates his daughter’s attempts to be independent and often puts his own emotional needs ahead of hers.

“He is inappropriately and unnecessarily controlling and domineering,” Johnson wrote in his report. He testified Thursday that Anastasia “feels overwhelmed and intimidated by his style of parenting.”

Gionis frequently demanded that Anastasia “give Ta-ta a kiss” or hug, and often told her what toys to play with or where to direct her attention, according to the report. Johnson said that he was struck by the large number of toys and stuffed animals in Gionis’ house but that Anastasia did not seem interested in showing him any of the toys.

Anastasia was different around her mother, Johnson said.

“With her mother, Anastasia appears to be relaxed, comfortable, self-confident and interactive,” Johnson wrote.

Owen said he “respected” Johnson’s opinion but disagreed that the father’s visits should be decreased. He said he would issue an order allowing Gionis to have Anastasia about 12 days a month, including two- and three-day stays.

But he said a monitor must be present--and awake--during the overnight visits. “I would never forgive myself if he (Gionis) left the jurisdiction,” Owen said.