Sean Goldman, Dad Arrive in U.S.

(CBS/AP)  Updated 8:28 p.m. EST

A father and son played with toys and puzzles and rested on a quiet nine-hour flight from Brazil to Florida, a peaceful conclusion Thursday after a tumultuous reunion that brought a five-year custody battle spanning two continents to an end.

David Goldman and 9-year-old Sean Goldman landed in Orlando on a jet chartered by NBC. Later they were driven away in a caravan of three SUVs, heading to an unknown destination. They did not speak with reporters at the airport, but NBC broadcast an interview with the father and footage from the flight.

"My little boy is 5 feet away, sound asleep, peaceful," Goldman, of Tinton Falls, N.J., told the network. "We're on our way. My heart is just melting. I love him."

Thursday morning, Sean Goldman was brought into the U.S. consulate by his maternal grandmother and his stepfather, making it into the compound's front door as scores of reporters and cameramen tried to get close. His father, David Goldman, was waiting for him inside.

Sean cried as his Brazilian relatives and family lawyer tried to get him through the scrum of journalists in front of the consulate. Guards had to violently push back photographers and TV cameramen.

The boy carried his luggage and wore a gold shirt with the Brazilian flag and Olympic rings underneath.

The boy didn't say anything as he was led from a black SUV across the street to the consulate. His maternal grandmother, Silvana Bianchi, said in tears simply that "this is a very difficult moment."

Sean Goldman's American grandfather Barry Goldman called the staged walk to the consulate - the family had been offered a private entrance - "terrible" and told CBS News correspondent Manuel Galleugs, "That was a media circus created by them that could nothing but harm him.

Once he was reunited with his dad, witnesses say the boy calmed down, ate a hamburger, and talked about how much snow there might be in New Jersey, Gallegus reports.

The reunion ended an epic battle that pitted Sean's father against the boy's Brazilian stepfather, who had cared for Sean since his mother died last year. The dispute strained relations between the two counties and reached the highest level of government.

"It is now time for our new beginning, the rebirth of our family at such a special time of the year," David Goldman wrote in a letter read to reporters after his departure.

Sean had lived in Brazil since Goldman's ex-wife, Bruna Bianchi, brought him to her native country for what was supposed to be a two-week vacation in 2004. She stayed, divorced Goldman and remarried, and Goldman began legal efforts to get Sean back.

After Bianchi died last year in childbirth, her husband, Paulo Lins e Silva, a prominent divorce attorney, continued the legal fight and won temporary custody.

"Today, the abduction has ended," said Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who was with Sean's father in Brazil and supported him.

The boy's maternal grandmother, Silvana Bianchi, however, said: "My heart is empty and broken because our love is missing. To take the boy on Christmas Day is a heinous crime."

The last act in the drama played out partly in public view. Wearing a gold Brazil Olympic T-shirt, a tearful Sean was walked a block to the American consulate, surrounded by his stepfather, other members of the family and their lawyer.

Once spotted by the more than 100 reporters and cameramen waiting for their arrival, the group had to drag, shove and push its way about 50 yards to the consulate's front door.

"I was disappointed to see him marched through the streets like that," Smith said.

Orna Blum, the U.S. Embassy spokeswoman, said the Brazilian family was offered the same secure entrance to the consulate garage that Goldman used, which would have shielded the child from view, and that she had no idea why they decided to walk the boy a block through Rio's streets.

Smith, however, said the Brazilian family's lawyer told him it was their way of protesting the handover.

The Brazilian family said Wednesday it was dropping legal challenges to rulings giving custody to Goldman. But the New Jersey man said repeatedly that, until he was on a plane heading to the U.S. with Sean at his side, he would not feel relief.

Once inside, the mop-haired boy calmed down after a few minutes, Smith said. Father and son were soon eating hamburgers and talking, the congressman added.

"Once he was with his dad they were smiling, with their arms around one another," Smith said. "They looked just like best buddies."

Smith would not say where they were headed, only that they wanted to "cocoon" somewhere other than New Jersey for a while.

Soon, they were on a plane to the U.S.

A charter flight on a passenger plane nonstop from Rio de Janeiro to Florida would cost about $90,000, on average, said Marc Hollander, a senior passenger sales executive with Air Charter Service, an international charter company based in Uniondale, N.Y.

The larger the plane, the more expensive the hourly rate and fuel. Crew services and international fees — which can include landing permits issued by the Brazilian government — also contribute to the cost, Hollander said.

Goldman fought a long battle against one of Rio's best-known legal families to regain custody of his son. On Tuesday, Brazil's chief justice finally cleared the way for Goldman to take his son home.

Goldman had said this week that if he won, he would allow the Brazilian family to visit Sean. But the Brazilian family's lawyer, Sergio Tostes, said no visitation agreement had been reached.

"It is inhumane that he left without a guarantee that his grandmother would be able to see him in the United States," Tostes said.

Now, Goldman said, is the time for Sean's American family to get to know him.

"Please know that my love and the rest of Sean's family's love for him knows no boundaries," he wrote in his letter. "We will go to the ends of the Earth to protect him and shower him with every ounce of love that we have."

The big question now what role, if any, the boy's grandmother, Silvana Bianchi, will play in Sean's American life, Gallegus reports.

"If it's a clear break where he's not allowed to talk to his grandparents, or his family back in Brazil, this is a child who is going to be deeply depressed and struggle tremendously with anxiety and all sorts of issues," Dr. David Swanson, a child family psychologist, told CBS News.

Appearing on CBS' "The Early Show" this morning, psychologist Dr. Jenn Berman said Sean is likely to have a very hard time getting re-acclimated to life in the United States. "Emotionally speaking, this is a psychological Armageddon," she said.

In the short-term, Sean "has to acclimate to a completely different culture, and a world that is really unfamiliar to him," said Berman. "But this is a child who has faced some of life's biggest traumas: a divorce, the betrayal of the trust that his mother had with him, the death of his mother, the abandonment of his father. Unbeknownst to him, his father's been fighting day and night for him but, as far as this child's concerned, he's been abandoned by his father. So, this is very traumatic - not to mention the whole media circus."

When the boy's handover was blocked last week, the U.S. Senate put a hold on a trade deal worth about $2.75 billion a year to Brazil. President Barack Obama also discussed the matter with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had also rallied behind Goldman, said she was thrilled that father and son had been reunited.

[Brazilian_American]

Hi, I hope David Goldman does all he cans for his son to adjust to his new life here, it includes allowing Sean to contact his family in Brazil as often as he wishes. It is very hard for an adult when coming here, in good will, to be away from the family as time goes by, and for a 9 year old boy it will be very hard! David Goldman, the Brazilian family is also your son's family! And Grama should come to visit Sean as soon as she would like!!! Please buy her an airline ticket! I bet Sean would love it!!! Do it for him!!!

[lovellboys2]

He should first determine with the help of specialists the extent of the parental alienation the maternal family inflicted upon Sean and the effect it has had on his well being. This is not merely an opinion of mine, but was clearly stated in the ruling by Judge Pinto that led to Sean's return. Only then can David make a determination on whether or liberal contact is in his sons best interest.

[paweg7]

if the usa was still at war she had every right under the sun to flee the country, especially if mr goldman became a apologist for the usa strategy. This would have offended her to the core as brazilians are pacifists. So the kidnapping claim can be thrown out in light of these wars. Is this not one consequence of war? Mr goldman is one who thinks his country is superior to brazil and this would have doubly offended his wife as she gave this country a chance and he did not reciprocate in the slightest and gave her a 2 week vacation there. How ignorant, brazilians are used to 5 week vacations. HE totally missed the mark thinking she had to obey his american ways. He is a example of male chouvenist behaviour.

[sunlilies]

well i dont know where to begin with the Goldman case. First of all am happy that he is back with his father but won't it have been a great gesture if the father had allowed him to spend the christmas with his half sister and maternal family. I dont get why some are calling it a kidnap case. Sean was with his Mother until she passed so why will people called it a kidnap case. he wasn't adducted, he went with his mother to brazil and she decides to stay what was she suppose to do bring Sean back because she didn't want to stay in America no more. The is some of the fears of marriage out side cultures or countries. she didnt do anything wrong if David believe she should have stay in America cus he was in America then he could he also have gone to stay in Brazil to be closer to his Son this is not a kipnap case America is not the only place to rise children so if she didnt want to stay here no more she couldn't leave her son and if he cared he would have try to accomdate living in Brazil to be closer to his son. it was all about him being selfish she was also when she left but if she wasnt happy here what else should she had done stay in America cus David couldnt go and stay in Brazil? it sad how it ended and he said something like it was a bad gesture that the stepfather was taking care of his son when he wanted him back well that doesnt sound bad thats his stepson, what was he to do stop loving him and put him on plane to America cus his mother died and he has no responsibilty to him, is that what he David would have done if the tables were turn and he was stuck with his deceased wife's child? I hope Sean get the best help he will need to adjust to his new surronding and i dont think this should be seen as a victory party to David since we can be sure Sean his missing his family back in Brazil. David taking him to Disney world was to me not the best for Sean now it was David's own way of saying i won but noone won when the pain is mostly on Sean who is now separated from his little sister and maternal family. showing how much Disney is not going to erase the knowledge that he is spending christmas in a different culture than what he had know for 5years. I just hope David dont start selling his story and pictures of Sean to the media cus havcing the world lens on Sean is the best for him right now. as he asked for privacy he should take his words seriously.

[cidaia]

Nobody has the right to take a child away from a loving parent. This woman did not "own" that child. (Even if she had, she only would have "owned" fifty per cent anyway.) Any pain the child now experiences, is entirely because this selfish, nasty woman decided to "give" her child to someone else - something she didn't have the right to do, and now the child will suffer for it.

Nobody has the right to keep a child from his parent, or a parent from his child, unless there's been abuse (and even then it can still be traumatic).

[raydernation]

Well sunlillies you are very observant. All you hear are these buzz words "kidnapped" "abducted". None of that occurred. What gets me, and I see this every night on the news; is the things they never talk or report about. The most obvious question is never asked. Why? Another thing sunlillies - a great portion of America thinks like this, and they wonder why 90% of the World hates us, why some of these people will kill themselves to do harm to us. The Ugly American. Once you figure the true meaning of that sunlillies, all your questions and concerns about this case will be answered. Just think about people like cidaia who replied to you, thats one example right there.

[cbsblogger]

I see a book, a movie, maybe even Broadway and more on the horizon, while Mr. David Goldman (of Goldman-Sachs notoriety?) makes a financial killing. BTW talk about chutzpah, he's looking for donations on his website so that you can help if you hurry....lol.

These events and media circuses don't happen by happenstance - they happen by plan. We know little about him and his 4 year history with his family. Were there any reported domestic disputes? We only know the SOP that it was Goldman who was the victim.

How many Americans in similar circumstances have had a media blitz and a coterie of politicians willing to act on their behalf? Answer: NONE.

Similar domestic disputes happen all the time but we don't know because no one cares. But when it happens to a "Goldman" the world knows. The biggest outrage of all is that NBC News paid to haul them back to America as part of the media blitz. Taxpayers paid to haul the Congressmen and others around.

Equality of treatment is what all Americans should demand and not special treatment for some.

[cidaia]

Are you suggesting he PLANNED to have his wife steal his child so that he could solicit donations and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, in the hopes that maybe he'd get a TV documentary out of it?

This is famous for the same reason the Elian Gonzales case is famous: because a family feud split across national lines, and because the family with custody defied rightful law to try to keep a child that wasn't theirs. That becomes newsworthy because it starts affecting relations between nations.

[cidaia]

Excuse me, when I say "wasn't theirs", I mean, custody wasn't theirs.

[paweg7]

bias and slander is what the brazilian family and deceased mother is enduring. She had every right in the world to go to her country with the kid goldman was thinking only of himself. She not only learned english and resided where he resided for 4 years but gave birth to his son. Did he reciprocate and learn portuguese go live in brazil for 4 years like she sacrificed in jersey for 4 years. He planned to keep her hostage having rounded her up in italy. She was really the victim of being a human slave, baby factory for goldman. What kept him from living in brazil like she did here. He was a jerk and the brazilian men taught him a lesson he deserved thinking that he can use jersey laws to keep their woman and kid hostage in jersey against her own will. Not only that but he was so callous to her that he was keeping her from her potential in brazil. Proved by the fact that she ended up creating 5 very sucessfull stores in rio. What would she do in jersey just be mr. Goldmans kidnapping victim? HE well deserves the treatment he got for his unloving uncaring bogus nature calling his sons mom a kidnapper is only a fraudian projection of something he was guilty of. He had no right to treat her as his commodity. They met in Italy no mans land , so in my view she was free to go to her home, why on earth should she after sacrificing her life to give birth to goldmans son stay in jersey as opposed to Rio. Mr Godman is a hipocrite and what the family did he deserved and he still did not learn his lesson to make up to and embrace seans other half who cared for him amazingly, you can just see how happy he was in Brazil. They did not have a problem with seans father what they had a problem with was his prejudice and uncaring attitude to brazilian and seans culture, and this was a affront to them, I do not blame them too much because they took care of sean well it was only david who chose to make scandals about the mother as if she was his property wife. This is a bogus claim in my view and goldman if he was nice would have stayed there to become part of the family but he did not want to be part of the family he wanted his son for himself first and that was his big mistake and he will be sorry when sean goes back to brazil because only there will he be nurtured and cared for in a more sincere way evidenced by seans attachmnet to them. The story that he was brainwashed is a lie and here say but that david was absent of his own doing is a fact. I feel sorry the dad is so antagonistic to the family he made a mistake by treating his wife as property and without decency the mother of his son, what a hard heart he has, And for this I feel sorry and happy at the same time for sean. Happy that he was brazilianized and in 8 years will go back to his fun and engaging family and sad because he is now like a kidnapped victim of his fathers doing. What dad accused the others of doing he is doing to him now. I don't say they should not be together but not like this, goldman by shunning seans brazilian half is being vindictive and stupid after the family loved his kid,yes if someone loved my kid like stupid I would be flattered and happy for the luck and support my kid can recieve. Dad does not need to monopolize life of the child its better and more realistic for the child I think. I just hope it does not turn out that dad will abuse sean , ust hope not because I do not see him with a girlfriend and that is strange for a good looking guy at his age.

[raydernation]

I concur, very well put and written thanks paweg7.

[TravelGirl7]

Wonder how much publicity for himself that so called "step-father" was hoping for by parading an innocent boy through a crowd of reporters vs a secluded location? I say step daddy looks like a non-caring Jerk! Well at least this lucky boy has a real chance at a life now! Viva American!!

[raydernation]

Are you kidding me? You must be talking about this David guy.

[mollydtt]

I'm surprised that such a spiteful maternal family should be supported by this CBS news blurb. This is the family that stops at nothing, including parading the kid through the mobs in order to "protest" relinquishing their kidnap victim.
Why in the world should those thugs be allowed any more access to the boy that they tried to brainwash against their dad.
If they were in any way human beings, I could see including them in Sean's future life, but let's face it, they are mean spirited and selfish----and they would stop at nothing to harm Sean psychologically in order to protest their court mandated release of their victim.

[CompletelyFrustrated]

I am glad to see this boy home with his rightful father. Kidnapping is kidnapping and the father is being far more gracious that I with allowing visitation, I would erase them from this boys life for 5 years and see how they feel!

CBS should be ashamed of itself and the horrendous bias they showed on the interview last evening with the NJ Rep Chris Smith who expressed he deep disappointment in the media circus the Brazilian family created when they handed this boy over - the bimbo newscaster kept shutting him down when he told the truth on what really happened! CBS is not happy unless they are causing hatred among people.

[lssbigdog]

Does it matter the right or wrong of this case. How sad that the Maternal family tried to erase David Goldman from his son.
At any time the maternal family could have negotiated contact and visitation.
No phone calls to Sean would be accepted, all gifts,letters from David,and paternal family returned uopened.
All court visitations thwarted by the maternal family. How sad is that??? Where was the reponsibilty of the maternal family as Sean was concerned.
Brazillian psycologists, determined that Sean was being Psycologically abused.
I'm assuming Dr Berman has not had any contact with David or Sean Goldman. So the opinion is just that, an opinion.
Im sure that David Goldman, with the help of others therapists, who don't have your armagedon slanted view, will Help all parties to HEAL.

Today, Divorced families will share their children. Some Mom's and Dad's will set aside their disputes and unite to share in the joys of their children. Weddings, Births,Graduations, Holidays.
Children are not property. It was obvious That the maternal family did not have Sean's best interest at heart when they paraded him thru the streets of Rio, It was about them not the safety of Sean.

[gustavopires]

for thesevenveils
It is funny, not to say ridiculous, to see this kind of comment: "Brazil is a banana republic. Look at the REAL Rio de Janeiro, its street urchins, surrounded by living conditions than make slums look luxurious, and the ways the government mistreats its indigenous people and destroys its marvelous primordial forest."

First of all, as far as we brazilians are concerned, most of our public opinion was in favor of Mr David Goldman, not only because he is the only biologic parent alive, but also for wis wife's illegal act, keeping their son overseas against international laws, and worst of all, against his father will.
My desire to express simpathy for Mr Goldman stops when I read xenofobic comments as posted here (and many others).
It is outrageous how the ordinary american is used to point others nations' problems without a previous exercise of recognizing his country's own disgraces.
Talk about indigenous mistreats and deforestation....you have got to be kidding me...weren't you americans taught in school what you have done with your own native americans and forests????
I'll tell you something...before addressing Brazil's problems, try to exercise some self-consciousness by reading a book called FLYBOYS, writen by your compatriot James Bradley. There you can learn some of your own real history and how your government have dealt with these same issues.
And by the way, banana republic is my ...!

[Marcos989]

You are 100% correct, many ignorant posting from fascists here that likely do not own a passport or know anything firsthand about Brazil. I have lived in Brazil since 92, it is very challenging, I complain everyday, I have horror stories to tell about this place that the worlds media does not report because Ms. Spears get the press. That being said it is a fact that the general Brasilian public came to support D. Goldmans Rights and understood the issues clearly and well. Unfortunately what we saw in this case and is endemic to the Brazilian Justice System (not alone in this) is the ability of those with money & connections to manipulate the justice system. The Judges that played into this and were subsequently overruled should be ashamed of themselves.
Welcom Home Sean, Merry Christmas David and all your supporters that choose Right over Wrong.
There remain 70 cases still pending with American children.
It remains a fact that Brazil has yet to honor their word and voluntarily turn over 1 child involved in International Abduction without domestic court cases contrary to their responsibilities under the treaty they signed.