Aryn Drake-Lee and Jesse Williams’ Divorce Confirmed – Everything to Know About Their Split and Custody Battle
The Breakup
18 months after the couple welcomed their son, Maceo, the Cabin in the Woods star filed for divorce. Us reported at the time that he and Drake-Lee had reached an amicable agreement to separate ways, though the reason for their breakup was not revealed. Three years later, in October 2020, the divorce was formalised.
The Battle for Shared Custody
The couple began bickering over custody of their two children just a few months after calling it quits, with Williams stating that Drake-Lee was restricting his access to them. In response, Williams’ then-wife petitioned for sole physical and legal custody, stating that she was the primary parental figure due to Williams’ irregular work schedule.
“When Jesse was accessible and home, he’d ‘join in,’ but he rarely took care of the kids without my or [the nanny] Martiza’s support and presence,” Drake-Lee claimed in court documents acquired by Us in August 2017. “Jesse grew distant and secretive, and he spent less and less time at home, travelling for unknown reasons while telling the kids, “Daddy is at work.” Preventing the children from experiencing a revolving door of romantic relationships is another role in their stability.” Williams’ representative rejected the claims, saying that he has been “trying relentlessly to maintain his link” with Sadie and Maceo.
Rumours of Cheating
While participating in Jay-“Footnotes” Z’s segment for the rapper’s tune 4:44, the Station 19 actor addressed accusations that he had been unfaithful “in July of this year “All of a sudden motherf**kers are writing think-pieces that I somehow threw a 13-year relationship — like the most painful experience I’ve had in my life, like with a person I’ve loved with all of my heart — that I threw a person and my family in the trash because a girl I work with is cute,” Williams said in the video, though he didn’t name his ex by name.”
Child Support of $100,000 Per Month
The couple fought not only over custody but also over their finances. Jesse Williams was ordered to pay Drake-Lee more than $100,000 per month in child and spousal support in July 2018. She demanded $200,000 from Williams the following year to cover her legal bills and pay a forensic accountant she hired to check into her finances before trial. Williams’ child support was decreased to $40,000 per month when their divorce was finalised, with the stipulation that he would no longer be responsible for spousal support.
Parenting Classes
In March 2021, the couple was ordered to engage in a programme for “high conflict parents” during their divorce drama — and their rocky co-parenting relationship. Separated couples can use the six-session online course to develop conflict resolution skills and reduce stress following their divorce.
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The ‘Erratic’ Behaviour Allegations
Williams accused his ex-wife of “serial breach of court orders” and “erratic, gatekeeping behaviour” in legal documents obtained by Us in February 2022, as the custody struggle proceeded. He went on to say that Drake-Lee had “become increasingly controlling and restricting” of his time with their children, accusing her of having “manic outbursts.” “in the presence of the children In October 2021, Williams claimed Drake-Lee yelled at him and “yanked Sadie from my arms like a rag doll.”
The Agreement
A judge dismissed Drake-plea Lee’s to decrease Jesse Williams‘ visitation with the kids while he prepares to star in the Broadway production of Take Me Out from March to June 2022, resulting in a temporary custody agreement in February 2022. Furthermore, the agreement grants the Chicago native “tie-breaking authority” over COVID-19-related decisions for the rest of the year and states that he cannot cancel his scheduled meetings with the youngsters at his discretion.
Request for Child Support Payments
Williams requested a reduction in his $40,000 monthly child support payments in March 2022, citing the fact that he no longer earns the same wage as he did on Grey’s Anatomy.
According to the legal documents, the actor currently only appears in the Broadway show Take Me Out and earns “much less.” His weekly income is $1,668, which is a significant increase above his former salary on the ABC sitcom.
Child Support Reductions
Due to his “substantial loss in income” after quitting Grey’s Anatomy, a court determined in April 2022 that Williams would no longer be required to pay $40,000 per month in child support. According to Entertainment Tonight, the Broadway actor will instead be obliged to pay Drake-Lee $6,413 per month, with half due on the first and the rest due on the 15th of each month. The verdict will take effect on April 15, and any changes will require a new court order.