The custody battle between Kristin and her brother Mark over young Sam was so brutal that they eventually were ordered to appear before a judge. Mark Harmon requested custody over Sam, under the premise that Kristin wasn’t fit to raise him on her own. The trial was highly publicized.
Kristin appeared “dressed neatly and [wearing] a calm, pleasant expression throughout the proceedings,” answering rude and difficult questions with respect and class. According to People, “Mark scowled most of the time and icily ignored all reporters. By the end of Day One, the press had cast him as the heavy and Kris as the heroine, and the coverage next morning reflected the feeling.”
The Ugly Custody Battle
After Sam called his uncle for help, Mark Harmon became worried about the state that Kristin was in. According to a story in People magazine, Mark thought that Kristin was "emotionally gone" and needed “to come in for a rest." Kristin reportedly agreed with her brother on that. Mark urged Kristin to let Sam stay with him and his wife.
Kristin felt like Mark was the only one who could have convinced her into doing this. She said that she heard a voice in her head urging her to accept help from somebody else. Kristin made the responsible decision to check herself into a rehab program called New Beginnings. According to Kristin the program helped her, however, her family wasn’t so quick to agree.
No Support for Kristin
Kristin's family was very supportive of her efforts to sober up from alcohol and substance abuse. However, they found it very difficult to help her as they claimed that she denied taking hard drugs. During a particular therapy session, the therapist asked Mark to give Kristin a hug, but he allegedly “jumped up irritable and ‘bolted’ from the premises.”
Kristin shared with People magazine that the Nelsons were the only people to witness and listen to her as a “bona fide human being.” During her time in rehab, Harriet Nelson was the only one to send her flowers and a card saying that she loves her. Kristin felt that she was the only one who believed in her sobriety.
“Too Much Blood Has Been Spilled”
The trial got so intense to the point where Mark Harmon's wife, actress Pam Dawber was accused of being a drug addict herself. The trial was eventually called off on day three after those involved realized that it would be detrimental to their careers in show business to continue.
Mark apparently went up to Kristin’s attorney and said, “We don’t want to go any further with this. Too much blood has been spilled.” After word got out about this, people who watched the trial said things like, “They’re obviously more concerned about their own careers than they are about the boy’s welfare” and, “This was a typical family dispute and it should have been settled around the dining room table.”
The Result
Once the custody battle was over, Kristin maintained custody of her youngest son with Ricky. Uncle Mark Harmon was allotted visitation rights and Kris, Sam, and Mark all agreed to go to family therapy. As he grew older, Sam would appear as himself in documentaries about his family.
Nowadays, the internet reports that Sam is an actor. He reportedly started a band called H is Orange. He also has written two books called The Addict, which “cuts through gender, racial, and generational gaps to expose the cause of addictions,” and Quandles: An Introduction to the Algebra of Knots.