Ira Peskowitz, who is a Palm Beach County (Florida) sheriff’s deputy, is also the father of Danielle Bregoli. In an interview with the Palm Beach Post earlier this year, Peskowitz stated that Bregoli’s mother, Barbara Bregoli, is the root of all of their daughter’s problems. Peskowitz and the elder Bregoli had an agreement in 2004 that gave the mother custody as the “primary residential parent,” which gave her the right to have “sole parental decision-making responsibility,” and gave Peskowitz “open and liberal visitation rights.”

It appears though, that Peskowitz has been mostly absent from his daughter’s life. When asked where her father was during her appearance on Dr Phil, Danielle responded that she “didn’t know.” Shortly after his initial interview with the Palm Beach Post, some questioned his motives. But in his most recent interview with the newspaper, Peskowitz stated that he and his daughter had reconnected months prior to Bregoli’s appearance on Dr. Phil, and that he has email and paperwork that proves he was looking to get her help before she appeared on the show.

Peskowitz claims that he was shut out of his daughter’s life. He says that he chose to step away from his daughter in order to protect himself and his family from harassment from Bregoli’s mother. Now, though, he says that in the wake of seeing the situation with his daughter unfold, he wants to do everything in his power to get her the help that she needs. Though she and her mother recently moved from their Florida home to Hollywood, Peskowitz wants to get her out of Hollywood, into therapy, and living with him and his family, because according to him, the younger Bregoli is being “exploited.” “Danielle needs to know that I love her,” said Peskowitz. “I don’t think she really knows what love is.” Peskowitz and Danielle’s mother are currently engaged in a new custody dispute that will eventually end up in front of a Palm Beach County judge, who will decide whether or not Danielle’s father will be allowed to have visitation and decision-making power in his daughter’s life.