Jesse Williams is battling his estranged wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, for joint physical custody of their two children, Us Weekly confirms.
In court documents obtained by Us, the Grey’s Anatomy star, 35, and his attorneys claim that the real estate broker has refused the actor’s request to spend more time with their daughter, Sadie, and son, Maceo.
“Aryn restricts my time with the children and decides when, and for how long I may have them,” Williams claims in the legal papers. “She has rejected, without any reason, each and every request I have made to have the children sleepover at my residence. On the few days that I have the children, Aryn has insisted that my time with the children be limited during the week to approximately two-and-a-half hours per day, despite my requests for more time, including overnights with the children.”
In the docs, the actor also insists that he has “always been an active, involved, ‘hands-on’ dad.”
Drake-Lee’s lawyer Jill Hersh later responded to Williams’ allegations in a statement. “Protecting the privacy and well-being of their children is of paramount importance to Aryn Drake-Lee Williams,” Hersh told Us. “It is unfortunate that Mr. Williams has chosen to draw public attention to this difficult time and transition for their family. Aryn is solely interested in the best interests of their children, supporting a healthy relationship with both parents, and protecting the children’s privacy. Therefore, she will not comment any further on Mr. Williams’ unilateral and unfortunate public allegations.”
Williams filed for divorce from Drake-Lee in April after four and a half years of marriage. In October 2015, the hunky actor opened up to Us about fatherhood. “I try to raise [my children] with the greatest [values] from my life, but times are completely different now,” he told Us. “We were at an age where we didn’t have [internet] or email addresses — it’s both exciting and terrifying.”
