Not over. Jesse Williams and his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, are still locked in a custody battle more than one year after finalizing their divorce.
The Grey’s Anatomy alum, 40, filed papers against the real estate broker, 40, on Tuesday, February 8, accusing her of “repeated violation of court orders” and “erratic, gatekeeping behavior” in court documents obtained by Us Weekly.
Williams claimed that Drake-Lee has “become increasingly controlling and restrictive” of his time with their two children, Sadie, 8, and Maceo, 6, despite his “deeply connected, loving relationship” with his daughter and son. He alleged that his ex has taken the kids from their school and his home’s front yard on his custodial days and that she ignores most of his FaceTime calls.
The actor went on to claim that the California native has “manic outbursts in front of the children,” including in October 2021 when she allegedly screamed at him and “yanked Sadie from my arms like a rag doll” on Halloween.
Williams further alleged that Drake-Lee’s “unreasonable” legal filings and behavior are “a perpetual loop of the same disproven, unsupported tales and flagrant disrespect for the court’s orders.”
The Little Fires Everywhere alum filed the documents in response to papers that Drake-Lee submitted in December 2021. She requested at the time to modify their custody schedule, claiming that his work and other factors led to inconsistency and disruptions to their kids’ lives. She alleged that Williams had “demonstrated a lack of concern for [stability], often making decisions based on what’s most convenient for him at the time, rather than the overall best interest of our children.”
Drake-Lee also blamed Williams’ May 2021 exit from Grey’s Anatomy for issues in their arrangement. “When we agreed to the current parenting plan in 2019, Jesse’s employment on Grey’s Anatomy lent itself to a stability that is no longer present,” she said. “Since Jesse’s exit, there have been multiple instances of Jesse notifying me with very little notice that he will be gone for weeks or months at a time for work and therefore must cancel his custodial time.”
The pair separated in April 2017 after more than four years of marriage. They finalized their divorce in October 2020 after a lengthy court battle, agreeing to share joint legal and physical custody of their children. He was also ordered to pay $40,000 per month in child support.
Since his separation from Drake-Lee, Williams has been linked to Minka Kelly, sports anchor Taylor Rooks and actress Taylour Paige.
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
