Tammy Lynn Michaels Sets the Record Straight on Ugly Split with Melissa Etheridge

There’s been plenty of dirty laundry aired since Melissa Etheridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels contentious split in 2010. Just last week the gossip site TMZ obtained court papers Michaels had filed seeking to raise her monthly spousal support check from $23,000 per month to $177,882 per month to help support their five-year old twins.

The slings kept flying with Etheridge alleging in legal papers that Michaels burned their son with a cigarette, an accusation Michaels adamantly refuted.

Rather than pay attention to the rumors AfterEllen’s Dara Nai goes directly to one of the sources and interviews Michaels.

Nai doesn't pull any punches, asking Michaels tough questions, to which Michaels gave some pretty frank responses.

When AE asks Michaels why living on $23,000 a month is not viable she says, “[I] gave up the job that was $25,000 a week, not $23,000 a month. I gave up $100,000 a month.”

Michaels goes on to say that Etheridge encouraged her to stay at home and turn down jobs, including the series Committed.

“[Melissa] wouldn't take off from her music stuff to allow me to do TV or movies. She implored me to be home. I hate to think, ‘Oh, I gave up my career,’ because you know what? That would subtract from how much it meant to raise the kids.”

Regarding the cigarette burn allegations Michaels explains the incident to AE saying, “Miller was about three-years-old. He was inside, playing with my [then] girlfriend. And I was outside, thinking about cleaning the car, and so, I had opened the door of the car. He came up from around and behind me. I didn't even see him come up because the door was open." 

Go to AfterEllen for the full interview in which Michaels addresses the media, the whole “box of dicks” blogging incident, her current relationship status and her plans for the future. 

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