Christina Ricci and James Heerdegen: A Timeline of Their Relationship

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Christina Ricci and James Heerdegen: A Timeline of Their Relationship

Christina Ricci and James Heerdegen’s relationship took a dramatic turn before she filed for divorce, but their dynamic wasn’t always this way. The duo’s love story began in 2011 when the Addams Family actress first met Heerdegen on the set of ABC’s short-lived series Pan Am. Ricci starred in the period drama, while Heerdegen served as a dolly grip operator. Us Weekly exclusively revealed in February 2012 that the duo were officially dating. From there, speculation around the couple’s engagement surfaced that October when Ricci was seen sporting an engagement ring. Us broke the news of the twosome’s engagement in February 2013 and they wed in New York City that October. The couple welcomed their only child, son Freddie, in the year that followed. Speaking to Net-A-Porter’s The Edit in March 2017, Ricci opened up about how marriage and motherhood changed her. “Marriage shows you your flaws in how you deal with things and having a child forces you to grow up at the speed of light,” she explained at the time. “I’m a completely different person than I was before I had my child.” [jwplayer zVRTIpZI-l3ahXupL] The Lizzie Borden Chronicles alum added, “Because I was so celebrated for being a child, I think I held onto that immaturity for a very long time. It was the thing that made me special. Then at a certain point, like 35, it’s not so special to be immature.” Us exclusively revealed in June 2020 that Ricci was granted a protective order against Heerdegen. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Us that “officers responded to a domestic battery radio call” at their home in Woodland Hills, California. The LAPD said “a report was completed” thereafter. Heerdegen was not arrested, but the new protective measure will prohibit the pair from contacting one another. Us confirmed shortly after that Ricci filed for divorce in Los Angeles on July 2. Just before the police incident, Ricci posted a sweet Father’s Day tribute to the film producer. The former child star posted a photo to Instagram of the sweet card that she and the pair’s son made, captioning the moment: “We ♥ you, Daddy!” The Casper actress dated actor Owen Benjamin before finding love with Heerdegen. The former duo got engaged in March 2009 but called it quits in June 2009. Scroll through the gallery below to see Ricci and Heerdegen’s relationship over the years. [podcast_block]

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2011

The duo met while working on the former ABC series Pan Am.

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February 2012

Us exclusively revealed that Ricci and Heerdegen were dating.

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February 2013

Us broke the news of the twosome’s engagement.

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May 2013

Before saying “I do,” Ricci told Us that planning her wedding was “more overwhelming” than she had anticipated. She also said she “can’t wait” to start a family.

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October 2013

Ricci and Heerdegen tied the knot at the Harold Pratt House and Peterson Hall on New York City’s Upper East Side.

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May 2014

It was announced that Ricci was pregnant with the pair’s first child.

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August 2014

Ricci gave birth to the couple’s son Freddie.

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August 2015

Variety reported that the duo bought a Brooklyn townhouse for roughly $1.995 million.

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March 2017

Ricci revealed how married life and parenthood changed her. “Marriage shows you your flaws in how you deal with things, and having a child forces you to grow up at the speed of light,” she previously told Net-A-Porter’s The Edit. “I’m a completely different person than I was before I had my child.”

Credit: Courtesy Christina Ricci/Instagram

June 2019

On Father’s Day, she shared a photo of their son Freddie resting on Heerdegen.

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June 2020

Ricci and the pair’s son honored Heerdegen with a heartfelt Father’s Day card. “We ♥ you, Daddy,” she wrote, captioning an Instagram photo of the gesture.

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July 2020

Us broke the news that Ricci obtained an emergency protective order against Heerdegen. This measure prohibited the spouses from communicating with each other.

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July 2020

Ricci filed for divorce after nearly seven years of marriage.

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January 2021

Us confirmed in January 2021 that a judge ordered Heerdegen to stay 100 yards away from Ricci and stripped him of visitation rights with Freddie and their dog after Ricci accused him of domestic violence. In the court documents obtained by Us, she alleged the abuse began in 2013 and was heightened in 2020 after they were stuck in the house together amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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January 2022

Heerdegen has "exhausted [his] financial resources" and is roughly $65,000 in debt, he claims in court documents obtained by Us. Ricci's estranged husband states he is "unable to pay" over $9,000 to his divorce lawyers, and he paid another law office $95,600 for his Domestic Violence Restraining Order application against Christina and to defend against her DVRO application against him.

The docs also reveal that he has supervised visits with his and Ricci's son twice a week.

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January 2022

Christina will take Frederick with her as she films on location. Heerdegen is allowed to visit and have unsupervised visits, but Ricci will have to pay for her ex's travel costs, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly in late January 2022.

The father was granted at least four scheduled 15-minute FaceTimes per week, and the California court set specific rules about the calls. If he "engages in any inappropriate communication with the minor child during FaceTime calls, including communication regarding this case, [Ricci], or what happens in [Ricci's] home, the FaceTime call shall be terminated."

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November 2022

During an interview, Ricci explained how her childhood influenced mistakes in her personal life over the years.

"I think with those things — Well, I can't speak for everyone, but it took me a long time to admit to myself what was going on, what it should be called," she told Sunday Times Style magazine about the issues in her marriage to Heerdegen. "Denial is very strong. Of course, you don't want to accept that the worst possible thing is happening and that you put yourself in that situation. So, it took me a really long time to realize that."

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November 2022

The Yellowjackets star recalled having to sell her most prized possessions amid her split from the film producer. "I had quite a Chanel handbag collection for a while, but I sold a lot of things. Well, certain traumas in life go along with financial traumas, extended court situations, custody situations [and] fighting restraining orders," she revealed to Sunday Times Style magazine.

Ricci added: "Having said that, I'm absolutely doing fine, there's no issue. But I learnt to use these investment pieces in different ways. I also had a Chanel Fine Jewelry collection that I put to good use."

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December 2022

Ricci's divorce from Heerdegen was finalized two years after she originally filed the paperwork. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the Wednesday star will keep her house in California and the duo will split the money from the sale of their New York apartment. The outlet also reported that Ricci will keep the residuals and royalties from her projects.

The former couple will share custody of their son, Freddie, but the Yellowjackets star will have final say on his education and medical care. Heerdegen, for his part, will receive a one time payment of $189,687 from his ex-wife.