Rumer Willis‘ ex Derek Richard Thomas has legally objected to her recent court request to modify their court orders regarding custody arrangements of their 3-year-old daughter, Louetta.
Thomas, 30, filed court documents on Thursday, August 27, and obtained by Us, requesting a judge uphold the June 9 decision, in which he and Willis, 38, would not take Louetta out of California without a valid court order or written agreement between the exes.
Thomas claimed in his filing that Willis “has done everything in her power to interfere, block and frustrate [his] relationship” with Louetta.
“I have had a very close and loving relationship [with our daughter]. At no time if I ever placed our daughter in danger of any kind whatsoever,” he wrote in a declaration. “I’m now, and always have been, fully capable of providing Louetta with the care she requires and deserves.”
He continued, “I reject completely, and without reservation, [Rumer’s] claims concerning my alleged abuse of drugs, any conduct on my part that endangers Louetta and any failure at efforts to cooperate with her and coparent.”
Thomas further claimed that Rumer, the eldest daughter of exes Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, raised the issue of his alleged drug use at a June court hearing, which the judge found no basis or concern for her allegations. In his new motion, Thomas stated that the judge ordered a six-week period of monitored visits before he could begin having un-monitored and overnight visitation sessions with his daughter.
Per Thomas, he alleged that Rumer has “made excuse after excuse that has frustrated my visitation,” including “several requests to change the location and schedule dates and time.” He also claimed that Rumer allegedly offered to eliminate the need for a monitor in exchange for his agreement that someone of her choosing would accompany their daughter to his upcoming wedding in October. (Thomas announced via Instagram in June that he recently proposed to girlfriend Lizzie Loch.)
In his motion, Thomas claimed that Rumer “has treated supervision as something to trade,” and that he never refused supervised visits.
“She has never let me weigh in on her choice of nannies, schools, or doctors for Louetta,” he wrote. “Despite our joint legal custody, my views on what is in [her] best interest is not something [Rumer] asks for or takes into account.”
He also claimed that Rumer has not followed the June court order that requires them “to confer in good faith and agree in advance” on Louetta’s travel plans and school enrollment, arguing that he has not consented to their daughter joining Rumer on her recent move to Nashville.
Thomas further stated that he has a room for Louetta in his house that is “furnished for her, with her own bed, her own clothes, her books and her toys.”
“[The] food she likes is always in the house,” he wrote. “Everything she needs while she’s with me, I provide.”
Thomas also opposed Rumer’s request to reduce their daughter’s calls with him to three or four times a week for 10 to 15 minutes because of an alleged scheduling difficulty.
“Almost every call ends with [Louetta] not wanting to say goodbye,” he alleged. “What has been missing is not my willingness. It is time in person, which has been canceled, cut short or conditioned on terms the order does not contain.”
Rumer responded to Thomas’ motion the next day, filing a declaration of her own through an attorney.
“[Rumer] holds her position that [Derek] is using drugs,” her motion obtained by Us alleges, claiming Thomas apparently “refuses to drug test voluntarily.”
“There is no other explanation for his unusual and erratic behavior and lack of safe judgment for Louetta,” Rumer claimed. “[Derek] is 30 years old. He does not hold employment that [she] is aware of. He pays no expenses for the minor child and he refuses to offer any financial support to [Rumer], yet he causes problems with [her] every chance he finds.”
In response, Thomas’ lawyer slammed her claims, calling his client a “very capable, loving and devoted father.”
“Ms. Willis continues to perpetuate lie upon lie upon lie concerning Mr. Thomas. The Court has previously ordered that Mr. Thomas unmonitored, overnight visits were to begin the last weekend of August,” attorney Mike Kretzmer told Us in a Saturday, August 29, statement. “In a desperate attempt to avoid compliance with the Court’s orders favoring Mr. Thomas, Ms. Willis filed a reckless and demonstrably false pleading with the Court attacking Mr. Thomas on a number of issues which will all be heard by the court on September 10th.”
He continued, “Ms. Willis has also, without permission or valid court order, stated she has moved to Nashville with their child further thwarting the Court’s orders for custody and visitation for Mr. Thomas. Ms. Willis continues to flaunt court orders, engage in an unwarranted smear campaign against Mr. Thomas. There will be consequences to be paid by Ms. Willis for her conduct. To be absolutely clear, Mr. Thomas is a very capable, loving and devoted father to their daughter. Mr. Thomas has not at any time engaged in the use of any illicit substances or in any conduct of any kind whatsoever that has placed or would place their child at risk of any harm.”
Us has reached out to Rumer’s attorneys for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.
