In April, we learned that Jesse Williams was divorcing his wife of five years, Aryn Drake-Lee. Aryn and Jesse were together for 13 years altogether, and they have two kids together. Reportedly, Aryn was and is pissed off. Reportedly, Jesse basically dumped his wife for Minka Kelly. Jesse got all indignant about the Minka reports, but wouldn’t you know? Even People Magazine is helping Jesse rollout Minka as his new girlfriend. They were even seen together a few days ago. Personally, I believe Minka and Jesse were happening last year, and that Minka is a big reason why Jesse’s marriage fell apart. In any case, Jesse and Aryn’s divorce is getting uglier and uglier every month. Here’s the latest:
Jesse Williams’ wife says he is a reckless parent who has fits of rage and worries he exposes their kids to a “revolving door” of women … this according to new, explosive divorce docs. Aryn Drake-Lee has unloaded on the “Grey’s Anatomy” star, demanding sole custody for a variety of reasons. She says the children are being emotionally compromised because Jesse has exposed them to at least one intimate partner and possibly more. She wants the judge to order him to keep girlfriends away from the kids until he dates them for 6 months.
Aryn goes on, claiming Jesse has a violent temper and cites a road rage incident last month with his next-door neighbor. She says after an argument the neighbor flipped off Jesse, and he then “aggressively pursued him in his car” with their 2 kids inside. She says Jesse threatened to kill him. She’s also pissed off that Jesse posts pics of their kids on social media and says he’s doing it as a “buffer for the negative talk about him in the media.”
As we reported, it appears Jesse is dating Minka Kelly and that might be behind some of her fury. Jesse has insisted his 13-year relationship and 5-year marriage didn’t end because of a “cute girl.” She says the kids are showing psychological signs of damage and wants the judge to correct things, stat.
It’s always a bit tricky when one parent introduces their kids to the jumpoff, and of course the other parent is always going to be hurt and angry. It’s a terrible situation and I feel for Aryn, but I just think that a California family court isn’t going to blink an eye at the fact that Jesse has a girlfriend two seconds after leaving his wife. Does that make him a sh-tty person? For sure. But I just don’t believe that his thing with Minka will really affect the custodial issue. But! The road rage thing, that could be more of a factor, especially if there’s any kind of documentation or history of aggressive or threatening behavior. My guess is that Aryn probably won’t get sole custody, but she’ll primary custody and he’ll get visitation.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Not nearly enough information. Let’s not forget Halle Berry.
Going for sole custody is a huge thing, and it screams of parent alienation, since she was happily married to this “rage monster” (my words) until now. Had no problem with him being with the kids, until he filed for divorce.
more info needed!
Yeah, that’s how I feel. For 13 years, she was ok with him as a father, but not now? C’mon!
Their oldest child is 3 so why are you getting she was fine with him as a father for 13 years? The arrival of children and boost in career can bring out a man’s true colours, for better or worse.
This was not a leak, this was a court filing. It’s likely the neighbour in the road rage incident made a statement or it wouldn’t be in the filing. So this is bad. Period.
Well She couldn’t have been happy with him as a father for 13 year as both kids are under 3. Also even if she wasnt happy with his parenting skills how would we have known until they filed for divorce and these doc were leaked ?
I know lots of couples who arent happy with their spouses parenting style or other qualities and its a source of tension or area of work in their marriage but it isnt necessarily wide spread public knowledge until there is a reason like divorce
I always wonder why people say this makes no sense to me
Sorry she was fine with him as a mate for 13 years
@snowflake
Again no we dont know that and why would we? the only reason we are now privy to these private details about their relationship is because they are documented in court papers pertaining to the divorce
Like i said there are countless couples who have issues that they are either dealing with , ignoring or trying to live with it that are not necessarily the business of the outside world
the fact that they were together for so long and their union seemed to start cracking after parenthood is not unusual , the maturity, sacrifice and lack of selfishness required to parent can bring out the worst in some people did this happen here dunno ? but we have no basis to assume she was” totally fine with him for 13 years or that these issues didn’t exist before in their marriage
One child is three and the other is one. These are babies, the are too young to be shuffling between homes. When they’re older they can live with both mommy and daddy.
Being a crappy husband does not equate to being a crappy father. She’s angry and wants to punish him. Parental alienation is a real thing and judges don’t look kindly toward the parent doing the alienating.
The daily mail has more details of her filing. She really went after him for a list of reasons, basically saying he is either absent or using the kids for PR. And I have to say I am getting more and more shady vibes from him. He definitely blew up his marriage for a fling that will probably be over by December.
Also, what are the odds Jackson Avery dies this season?
Had to laugh @Gayle because I’ve been wondering the same thing about Jackson Avery. Shonda doesn’t mess around and she hates drama. It’ll be interesting to see if she keeps him on board. I have to admit Avery has lost his magical quality for me now.
“Also, what are the odds Jackson Avery dies this season? ”
LOL, I laughed hard when the story of his affair/fling thing broke and one of the first comments on here was “I wonder how Shonda will kill him.” Never gets old.
I feel for her, and I cannot imagine what it feels like to be cheated on by the man you devoted your life to for over ten years, but I think that much of this is motivated out of spite. No doubt she’s hurt and angry, but you can’t revoke custody over the spouse’s infidelity. The road rage incident has merit, but Instagram photos? Nope.
I really don’t think the Instagram photos are a “reason” but it is flavouring to the rest of his behaviour. People had pointed out before this leak that he only started posting his kids’ faces with regularity after the cheating and marriage scandal broke. That smacks of using your children to prop up your PR image…admittedly a proud Hollywood tradition 🙄…but always gross. That’s not a custody make or break at all but it’s also not unreasonable for the parents to have to agree on it and it does reflect poorly on him
All the stars do that.
But he really didn’t…and then he did. Just when people were side-eyeing him for walking out on his marriage and likely cheating. That’s particularly calculated.
I agree. She is doing this out of spite which does not look good for her at all. We all know Jesse stepped out and cheated on her, which does make him a horrible husband and romantic partner, but that doesn’t mean he should be denied custody. Unless there are reports of abuse that surface, his infidelity should not be taken into consideration when granting custody. Lots of men and women who cheat still love their children and should be allowed to see them on a regular basis.
Ugh I’m sorry but unless something comes out I don’t like this. If there’s one thing I loathe it’s people using family court to punish a cheater or someone that moves on quickly. That’s not a reason to block someone from being a parent.
I’m not saying this is the case here, but asking for sole custody is also a tactic for negotiating higher spousal support/alimony.
It would not surprise me, at all – given the shitty way he ended the marriage, that she is clearly pissed off, and that he has more money than her.
Okay let’s get some things straight because god knows Celebitchy is leaving out some things here, there is more to this story than just road rage and her not wanting to kids to be exposed to randos.
First of all, celebitchy failed to mention Ayrn didn’t leak any of this, it all comes from court documents. Ayrn herself requested this remain private but it seems like the judge and probably Jesse didn’t want it to be private. This is huge, and it frames the situation. Many are gonna act like Ayrn’s just this scorned woman but pointing out she wanted the whole thing to remain under wraps isn’t some huge thing.
Second IDK why it’s so wrong of a thing to not get a no introduce to a partner unless their serious clause. When my own parents were divorcing I personally asked this of my parents. I was a teen but still. I didn’t want to get attached to someone who would just leave. I can imagine this is even harder for little kids to understand. It’s also not just Minka, according to Ayrn Jesse has had a lot of women in and out since March, which is apparently when they separated according to her. Lol Jesse tried to claim they were done for over a year, Jesse has been lying since this whole thing started so IDK why anyone would take his side.
Third, Ayrn isn’t just claiming Road Rage, she’s claiming Jesse is failing to be a parent. She talks about how Jesse didn’t attend his daughter preschool graduation, has pawned the kid off on the nanny, that he takes various “work trips” instead of seeing his kid, and has taken the kids to friends houses instead of watching them and spending time with them. She also mentioned how she fails to keep to the schedule for them (which anyone with little ones knows is important) and fails to pick them up from school.
So Ayrn’s claims are vast. Jesse is not parenting, doesn’t want to parent apparently. Why should a man get partial custody when the woman is doing all the parenting? People need to get the facts of this case right. He isn’t being a parent and as such, she requesting that the judge give her custody. Jesse needs to be a parent if he wants custody and parenting is actually being there for your kids not just posting a cute photo on IG.
It’s clear she’s been the primary and, if it’s true he can’t hold up his end with the small piece of parenting he does have, then she should get primary custody (and he visitation). But the road rage incident alone would have enraged and terrified me.
Ah, thank you for the information. This frames things differently for me! Sounds like she has documentation to back up the fact that he isn’t doing what he needs to do as a parent. If that’s the case, I hope she gets sole custody because the kids deserve consistency, especially when their whole world has been turned upside down with the divorce.
Dude needs to watch out, Shonda doesn’t like bad press associated with her shows and actors. She has no issue going scorched earth with them either (Heigl and McDreamy come to mind).
Im convinced hes a jerk just because he looks so much like Timberlake to me.
She seems like a good mom and the 6 month thing is completely reasonable. IMO people who have a problem with that despite their vast childcare resources are not reasonable.
Kids should see dad at least once a month unless there’s something really dangerous/ wrong with him.
Also nice to know that Celebitchy didn’t do any of her side of the story, so once again a black woman can be framed as bitter and angry. I’m sure if this was a white woman they would have told her side and not just the part of it that makes her look bad. For all of celebitchy’s “progressive” stances, they sure as hell just did the oldest racial trick in the world against a black woman.
they kinda do it often… hmmm
I actually found this story sympathetic to Aryn. I’m not sure why everyone up-thread is framing it like she’s going scorched earth. The extra details definitely add to her story though.
Thanks for her side. Where did you find this info? Link it please, I’d like to read it myself.
Also, has Jesse responded to any of this?
It’s all in the E News articles. Just keep reading it, it goes into various detail.
Ok, I will google. Thanks.
It’s not “her side” everything is from the court documents. TMZ deliberately chose to produce her as the angry black ex-wife. The only thing she sent out is that she wanted to do it privately after he started to leak things publicly.
And the social media game he is playing is just the worst!
I read the E News articles and I’m not seeing the solid documentation required to present a strong case for sole custody. ENews says he didn’t show up for Father’s Day at preschool and mother felt awkward, among other equally minor infractions. Sole custody is a monumental decision and there needs to be a whole heck of a lot more to justify that request. Is there more info somewhere? I’d like to see the court docs.
Oh I see! Thanks for clarifying that it is TMZ slanting the view, it’s not sides at all but just the persona they want to push.
TMZ is not a site I choose to visit. I hate their policies of harassing people.
I should have known, seeing this info was from TMZ.
Thanks for the information. It provides a lot more context into her case.
So he was a more involved dad when they were together? Or it just bothers her now that they’re divorcing? Because I kinda think he was always that way. A lot of men, imo, are ok with women bearing the brunt of the child rearing. I don’t agree with that. But I still think there should be joint custody. Jmo. Don’t let him off the hook
I don’t think we have any indication of what Jesse was like when he was with her. Maybe he was a good parent, maybe he wasn’t. Even if he was it could be Hollywood and fame changed him. That happens all the time. But before the divorce she seems to have wanted to keep their home life private, Jesse’s the one who keeps blabbing and lying to the press. That tells me all I need to know about him.
Thanks for sharing! Enjoy this site but noticed they leave out information to frame their story to get certain reactions. P.S. So glad the douche, Jesse, is finally getting the shade he deserves.
Really interesting. Thanks for sharing. If he really is that uninterested and uninvolved I would assume that he wants joint for financial reasons moreso than for PR. The PR is pointless because Shonda is clearly going to write him off the show lol
@anon
Thanks for this I note that a lot of sites are focusing on the “other woman ” and why is he a rager all of a sudden and not looking at all the info in the court docs
I just want to add that I used to follow Jesse on SM and loooong before this happened , based on his activity I always wondered how he had time to be on set almost all day , and still hang out after hours with his coworkers plus fly around the country ” activisting” with a toddler and then new born at home it seemed to me from then the wife was doing the bulk of the child rearing
( Contrast that with the dude who plays Alex , Who though he seems friendly on the set you would rarely him hanging out with the cast for dinner /beach etc. cuz Guess he has Five kids to attend to ? )
I do not agree with keeping the kids from the Dad either but have always maintained there is more to this story and , I do know that oFtentimes the bar for being a good dad is set really low whilst the woman is doing all the heavy lifting
Yeah, Anon. It’s something that I’ve been noticing on the site. Reason why I’m slowly leaning out of here.
I’m waiting for proof of anything regarding him being an angry rage monster. Cheating sucks but it’s absolutely not a reason to keep a parent from seeing their kids. Every piece of information that comes out screams “parental alienation” and “bitter” to me. Again, cheating is incredibly hurtful and so stupid (seriously people, if something is wrong in your relationship, use your words, not your body) but it’s not a reason to keep a parent from their kids.
If he is actually an absent rage monster, then I hope she gets custody though.
see, this is a shitty divorce. the chris pratt and ana situation is a walk in the park compared to this.
I totally understand that she feels betrayed and angry. Rightfully so. However, taking the children from their father seems wrong too.
IF there is a legitimate case that proves he’s unfit for sole custody, I am absolutely fine with her taking him to court. But if she’s doing this out of revenge, she should be ashamed of herself for doing that to her children and providing more fodder for the red pill mindset about women in divorce.
This might not be a popular opinion but Aryn needs to learn how to co-parent from the start. It’s unreasonable to expect that he’s not going to move on with his life and the children aren’t going to meet those people. If the focus is creating a stable ‘new normal’ for the kids, it will also create a mechanism for dealing with his ‘angry outbursts’ especially if you’re being helped by an outside mediator. Keeping the children from him isn’t going to make him change, it’s just going to keep them in court. It’s hard and uncomfortable, but it will pass. Sometimes you have to start with the end in mind.
This
So much this. If I were her lawyer, I’d have urged her to be much more circumspect. California is 50/50 by default, and it takes a lot to change it. I’ve seen judges get super pissed at what they perceive to be irrelevant mud slinging and parental alienation and rule the other way just to teach a lesson.
I totally agree
I totally agree
Yes, I agree with this.
Agreed. It hurts I know but it will never be easy for her.
This is going to be messy. Minka should turn off the comments on her social media..
A lot of what she chose to put in her filing is utterly irrelevant legally, but very relevant to the press, so this does feel more like it’s motivated by spite than actual concern for the children’s welfare.
The road rage incident is the only actually concerning thing here. Everything else just comes down to a difference in parenting styles. He’s allowed to schedule the children as he likes on his time, he’s allowed to miss the occasional event, he’s allowed to use social media, he’s allowed to use childcare, he’s allowed to have work obligations, and he’s allowed to mix parenting with normal things like meeting friends. It might not be ideal, it might not be how their mother wants them cared for, but none of that comes even close to being a reason to lose physical custody. The girlfriend thing is irrelevant too. Again, it might not be ideal, but it’s perfectly acceptable for him to introduce the children to a new girlfriend early on, and how many women he’s banging in his own time is his business.
People don’t understand how much it takes to actually lose physical custody of your children. A bit of half-hearted parenting and some questionable romantic choices isn’t gonna do it. Road-rage could if the incident is very serious and it’s not a one-off.
I don’t think those details are irrelevant to their custody case. Even if they do end up sharing joint custody, they’re going to need to reach an agreement on how to coordinate the children’s schedules etc. In the court filing Aryn states that she’s hoping to hash out an agreement in mediation.
It doesn’t matter what you think is relevant though Goldie, it’s what the applicable family laws thinks and on that Jamieee is correct. None of those things would be remotely relevant in determining that someone should lose custody except the rage incident and even that wouldn’t if it wasn’t a repeated pattern of behaviour. Parents aren’t expected to be perfect human beings any more than anyone else. Sole custody is a huge hurdle, as it should be.
You can’t demand sole custody because your ex has a new gf or bf. Also I think it’s shady that she’s now bringing up Jesse’s ‘anger issues’ now that he’s clearly moved on. I must admit I thought he was too good to be true (he was) and I’m not shocked their break-up is ugly.
How do we know what went on behind closed doors?
He is HW actor. Very likely he is a short for Richard.
Aryn is NOT being unreasonable to ask that he sees the women for at least 6 months before he brings them around his TODDLER children. It is a confusing time for a child especially a child this young. I have no doubt in my mind Minka is not the only woman he was cheating with and doing this around. Jesse looks like a fu@king piece of work. Cheating does make u a shitty person AND parent. I have no doubt he was not worried about his kids when he was working all hours of the day and night and cheating on his wife and his children. Her children are going to need professional help after dealing with this. She is not perfect but when your children are suffering because of the selfish desires of another person…you will do what is necessary to protect said child.
Yeah, the part of her demand I don’t view as problematic, either, mainly because any considerate adult shouldn’t be disputing it. Children need to have a sense of stability in their lives, especially when they’re younger and going through the pain of a family breaking up. It’s irresponsible to introduce them to their parent’s “replacement” early on in that process.
Yeah its not unreasonable to make that request…but its not like hes doing anything illegal. She needs more than that if she wants sole custody.
While it’s a nice thought, Aryn can’t enforce this. All he has to do is throw an engagement ring on any random and poof, she can’t enforce it. Aryn also has to realize that the way she handles this issue is the way he will handle it when she begins to date, so if she’s going to set a president she better consider if she can live by it when it’s her turn.
The sense of stability is created when the child knows the parents are actively working together and will support them, not when one parent is controlling the other. (Note…I think this dude is shady AF but sometimes you have to step outside the issue to make sure your focus is not your pain but getting to a civil, stable arrangement.)
I always thought jesse was a douche. He just that vibe. However … if we were all to get our kids taken from us because of road rage …. ??
That said, fobbing the kids off with the nanny is not on. You’d think any parent that sees their kids for a limited time can do so without the assistance of a nanny. In fact, can celebs do any thing without a nanny? Even Busy phillips who i love was saying how stressful travelling with her 2 kids who are about 4 and 7 and then goes “well with my nanny too. I would not be able to cope without her traveling too”… i get i if her kids were babies but come on, they are manageable ages and she was just going from NYC to LA No long haul.
Anyway… jesse is a douche and he really screwed his wife over.
You’d think I was a terrible parent, then. I’ve got 3 kids, don’t do paid work, and a nanny! I pick and choose which of my kids’ events to prioritize! Sometimes I even leave the baby at home with a nanny so I can take my other kids to the playground! Or leave them all at home so I can have dinner with my husband or to to the gym!
Do you have limited visitation with your kids
Can you look after your kids alone?
I just don’t see why a full time nanny is required if you don’t work, unless you have a special needs child that requires you to have assistance at all times, or you have personal issues such as depression or back pain.
Fyi a full time nanny is different from a baby sitter. Nobody is judging you for wanting alone time for your self or with one kid or when you need to run errands. Its having someone in the house with you when you are doing nothing else besides household stuff… what do they do? Its like these parents are incapable of looking after their kids without having a personal babysitter themselves.
And no i don’t think you are a terrible mother. I just don’t get it. I like minding my kids myself without having someone else hanging around.. unless needed.
Personal tastes and needs i guess
@Tanya I must be terrible because I have a nanny too. 🙂
@Deee That is a stereotype of a woman eating chocolate with a staff. It is why famous women don’t like to have nannies in the pictures. I grew up with them but my mother worked outside of the home and traveled a lot.
Mothers get judged so much from everyone but every mother is different. There is no tried and true recipe to raise happy and adjusted children. There are some things like love, stability, acceptance, time, empathy and support. But there are mothers who work full time and are great mothers and some that stay at home who aren’t. Mothers are made to feel guilty for day care or working at night or being career minded.
It works for our lifestyle, and she does live with us. She isn’t a substitute but a help and a familiar caregiver that they love and who loves them too. We have a large family by today’s standards and it works. I do love being with my kids and caring for them but it allows my older kids to have time with me to do things they enjoy. There are a lot of reasons.
@magnoliarose
Well its my perspective that a parent(s) does not require a full time nanny when they are present in the house and there are no presiding reasons as i mentioned already. I guess it comes down background, class etc. Some mothers just don’t know any different and think it is normality to have someone there 24/7. To others it seems a bit lazy and yuppy mummyish. Getting a nanny to do all the dirty work etc. Like … why can’t they go out and get a job if they have full time childcare? Obviously you can afford it but it seems a huge unnecessary expense on your husband when you are the mother.
I think the road rage incident is relevant if it reflects a pattern of escalating behavior, not so much if it was a one off incident. Otherwise, that’s an entirely appropriate reason to limit contact until he addresses the problem with anger management therapy. To me, the real question should be the courts just how active he is in his children’s lives. I absolutely think he should have access to them, but if she’s been the primary caretaker and decision maker for most of their lives, it may be more sensible that she remain as such given their young age and his schedule. They can always renegotiate when they’re older.
I despise when people – especially women – act as if a woman wanting some custody is due to bitterness. We all know better. We all know that marriages are pacts to keep your spouse’s secrets. We all know that what goes on behind closed doors is more complex. We all know that a spouse will put up with bad behavior because that is the vow they took before God. Once those vows are broken, all bets are off. His wife no longer has to let him be around the children in his rages because he broke his promise. I doubt she’s bitter or vindictive. Hurt? Sure. But she has every right to protect her children from a man who broke his promise.
this!
So much this..
Agree
Um so you’d let your kids be around someone’s rages (although there is one episode detailed here so no need for the plural) until they broke a promise and then all bets are off? That’s a description of vindictiveness not good parenting.
1. I think it’s important to note that sole custody does not refer to physical custody of the children. It refers to decision-making power. Sole custodian = makes all the major decisions (like where to send kids to school). Joint Custosy = they make those decisions jointly. Whether she wins sole custody or not has no bearing on the frequency with which Jesse sees / has the children. (That’s bow custody works here in Louisiana anyway).
2. I totally agree with the 6 month / no introduction to girlfriends clause. It isn’t fair to the children to meet someone who is not going to stick around.
NOLA has it right…sole legal custody and sole physical custody and both of those have no bearing on visitation. Legal=make legal decisions about the child (medical, schooling etc) and physical is that, the child lives with one parent.
In Cali, yes it is very hard to get sole of both but I did it because I was married to an abuser who put both my child and I in dire physical and mental straits. We were first granted a restraining order out of children’s court and then another one out of criminal court after my ex plead no contest to felony spousal AND child abuse.
Curiously, after the children’s court hearing, my ex could still have supervised visitation but in family court, that judge upped it to no visitation.
I go to court in two days because my ex is trying to force supervised visitation on our son, who does NOT want to see him. Although I have a lot of documentation, it may not be enough as they are trying to accuse me of ‘parental alienation’. Sorry, but our 13 year old was traumatized for YEARS with this man, and I am going to fight tooth and nail to get our son what he wants.
I’m not saying that this is what is going on with Jesse and Aryn, but please ‘think’ a bit before throwing out ‘parental alienation’ as it’s not as simple as that. We absolutely do not know what went on behind closed doors. In my case, 12 years of marriage and 9 years of living with my ex prior to marriage. DV victims are VERY good at hiding what is truly going on as it is often a matter of live and death. (yes, that serious)
Just my two cents…
I thought it was a thing, here in California, that if a child doesn’t want to see a parent they don’t have to, as long as they’re above like 14? Regardless, good luck to you, ChristineM. I hope you and your child stay safe, and that things go your way in court.
This guy is a total douche. The end.
Wondering why Celebitchy has left out the court docs of Jesse’s wife- further reinforcing the narrative that Aryn is an angry black woman, which is not true.
Personally, the 6 months things sounds a little controlling to me. Jesse is an adult/parent and should determine his own stipulations of when it becomes time to introduce his kids to his ex. Aryn shouldn’t decide that for him and he definitely shouldn’t decide that for her. Do I think he should have a revolving door of women in and out? No. Do I think he is incapable of determining when it is best to introduce his kids to a partner of his? No.
Ck3 actually a lot of people seem incapable of using good judgement about this. Why not have a stipulation?
Why is Minka getting involved with someone who is still technically married? She seems a little off herself.
Agreed. IMO she’s gorgeous and I’m not so into him, never seen a cute photo of him yet. Is he more wealthy than her? I thought she was more famous than he is. My money’s on, she likes dating married men or stealing men. Otherwise what is so irresistible?
I was waiting for this, she kept quiet these past few weeks while he kept leaking stories.
Sources have said she has more proof and witnesses of the incidents too, so let’s see how this goes.
Aryn got painted as the bitter black woman that was mad that Jesse’s triffling self left his family for Minka, and was using the kids as leverage, so I hope she fights back.
None of you have any idea what went on behind closed doors, watch Jesse’s interviews and notice his patterns.
I’m reserving judgement, not because I think she’s bitter but because it takes a lot of proof to get sole custody in Cali. I’ve heard a judge say that a man who hits his wife may not be a danger to their child and give him joint. I’ve also seen a judge give a husband primary, removing a child from his home states away, and his little sibling, because the judge thought the mom was abusing the system to stick it to her husband. I hope she’s got a good lawyer and lots of documentation, because if she doesn’t, this could backfire badly for her.
Me too. I don’t judge her at all and I judge him a lot for being a slimey douchebag but sole custody is not going to happen on the basis of what she submitted to court. He is a shitty husband and may well be a shitty father and perhaps even a ragey one. He still won’t lose custody.
I think we have been supportive of her here. He is a jackass. He should have the shame to give her what she wants and work with her quietly so that they can heal from his actions. Why would she want her kids with Minka? They are tiny. She shouldn’t have to deal with that on top of it being public.
His career is going to take a hit and it should because of what he claimed to stand for.
Canceled.
*their kids, not her kids.
Maybe I’m biased because I saw my sister go through this with her ex, but I am firmly in Aryn’s camp on this one. My ex brother in law became a terrible, un-involved parent after their split. He still uses my niece’s as weapons against her, though. Their children are still little and Aryn might be trying to head off anything before it starts.
Well, you know what? When you have a husband who looks like that, you may have to work to keep him. It’s sad that looks are a factor here, but realistically it is what it is. When you are in the public eye, you have to look good or at least TRY. She NEVER looked good in photos with him. Like she could care less. It appeared that she just didn’t give a damn. She looks really pretty in photos from early on in their relationship. Other photos from recent years though, not at all.
You can’t be serious. Minka Kelly is not an upgrade as if there is such a thing. HE is the problem, not her. This sounds like it was her job to make him honest and keep his vows. Nope. He will be back down to an unemployed actor soon and Minka will be gone so will his Hollywood friends.
Wow.
Ok, one, he’s not that much of a catch. Nor is he an A-lister. He’s a B lister if I reach far enough, and Minka is a basic looking boyfriend/ husband leacher. No phenomenal looks here.
Two, guess what? A cheater will cheat no matter what, she could have given him EVERYTHING and more, and he could still have stepped out of the mariage.
Three, she’s a very pretty and educated woman. She shouldn’t have to constantly try to adhere to other peoples’ standards of acceptable. SHE is not in the public eye, HE IS. She is a quiet woman who occasionnaly went on the red carpet with him, no pap walks, no staged photos.
Four, he was with her for 13 years, and in those 13 years, she didn’t seem to change, he did. She’s a mom to a 3 year old and an under 1 year old, she is under no damn obligation to “fix” herself up every minute.
Five, shall we discuss the blatant double standards, huh.
This is one of the comments that irked me to the bone, blaming a man’s cheating on a woman’s looks..
*Applause* Ayra!
Jesse and his ex-wife look very similar (almost like siblings IMO) so I don’t understand why some people are always saying negative things about her looks. IMO she looks better than Minka Kelly and has naturally good skin. No she is not sample size but nor is she obese, she is the size of the average American woman.
Looks are besides the point, Halle Berry is one of the most beautiful women in the world and has a body that goddesses are envious of. Didn’t stop her partners from cheating on her. Long, long list of beautiful women with cheating husbands. And they usually cheat with someone not as good looking as their spouses. This old myth needs to die.
P.S. I’m torn about the custody issues. It’s obvious she has always been the primary care taker but I *always* believe that kids need both their parents for a healthy identity (whether parents are hetero or same gendered). Both of them too should have some responsibility. Otherwise men will continue to just produce children and walk away from them like wasted tissue paper.
I’m sorry you have internalised so much misogyny that you think a woman with two small children and a career should look like a glamazon in order for her partner of 13 years (who she financially supported for years when he was an out of work actor) not to betray her.
I’m confused, because where I’m from, in Georgia, “sole custody” can mean several different things. For example, I was awarded sole physical custody (meaning my son lived with me) with his father having visitation. We had joint legal custody, meaning we made joint decisions regarding healthcare, schooling, etc. But my sole physical custody didn’t mean he never saw his dad or was alienated from him. Is it different in California? I truly don’t know.
Just because someone is a sucky partner (im not calling him that because I don’t know if he cheated) does not make them a terrible parent. It seems like her going for sole custody is malicious
It doesn’t mean that. But the default is 50/50, and you have to have a really strong case to get anything else. And depending on the judge, requesting sole custody without merit can be seen as parental alienation.
Where I live in New York when we got sole custody of my niece it meant that we made all the decisions and she lived only with us.
It was our goal to have sole custody to keep her safe and her father had supervised visitation of one half hour a week which he declined and hasn’t seen her since
Also not sure what it means in other places with regards to supervised visitation. But here in New York it meant they went to a family and children’s center and a social worker sat in the room with them. It was discussed ahead of time rules of behavior including no Whispering, no passing of notes to give to Mom, and no discussion of mom or any other derogatory comments towards anyone