‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Jesse Williams Resumes Battle With Ex-Wife Over Child Custody Schedule

Jesse Williams is back in the headlines for his nasty battle with ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee, but this time, it is over their child custody schedule.

The latest clash follows several past court disputes, including Williams' March 2022 attempt to reduce his $40,000 monthly child support payments. 

After a brief cooling-off period, tensions have flared up again as Jesse Williams accuses Aryn Drake-Lee of interfering with his time with their children.

Williams is fighting back in court, seeking a more balanced custody arrangement with his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee. The producer recently filed new legal documents, pushing for equal custody of their two children — a 10-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son. 

The 43-year-old claims that his current custody schedule only allows for one or two overnight stays during the school year, a setup he says is unfair. According to the obtained documents, Williams is accusing Drake-Lee of interfering with his parenting efforts. 

He alleges she consistently blocks his FaceTime calls, prevents their kids from attending activities he has organized, and manipulates vacation schedules to limit his time with them.

In a pointed statement, Williams claimed, "Causing drama and trying to fracture our children's experiences with me is far more important to Aryn than their peace, health, and happiness." He believes his ex is more focused on creating conflict than fostering a healthy co-parenting relationship.

The court has already ordered the former couple to seek mediation to resolve their ongoing custody disputes, which have been a recurring issue since their split, per TMZ.

Williams' ongoing custody dispute with Drake-Lee has been a recurring issue since their split, but it is not the first time financial matters have been at the center of their disagreements. 

In 2022, the director sought to reduce his hefty monthly child support payments, which totaled $40,000. He claimed the sum was no longer feasible after his exit from Grey's Anatomy in 2021.

The Blast reported that Williams decided to leave the hit ABC series after ten seasons as Dr. Jackson Avery to explore other acting opportunities. 

However, the departure caused a significant dip in his earnings. While on the medical drama, Williams earned $6.2 million annually and collected $183,000 in residuals, but his new roles brought in far less income.

Williams argued that the popular series was the primary source of income for him and his family, and without it, he struggled to meet the $40,000 monthly payments. He explained:

"I am requesting the court reduce the child support to a reasonable amount I can afford given the significant reduction in my income and the new fluctuating nature of my income."

In arguing for the reduction of the substantial $40,000 monthly child support payments, Williams claimed that such a sum did not match his children's actual lifestyle.

"The Butler" star emphasized that the hefty payments did reflect his kids' day-to-day reality. Williams pointed out that his children have always lived modestly despite the large payments. He said:

"Our children's lifestyle was/is in no way reflective of the $40,000 per month in child support. Our children have a modest lifestyle. They do not have expensive hobbies or attend expensive camps."

The actor went on to detail how vacations were also far from luxurious. "They do not fly by private jet when we take vacations (which are already infrequent), and we do not have any vacation homes," Williams added.

He clarified that his initial agreement to the child support amount was based on his significant "Grey's Anatomy" income, which had since dwindled.

The star again became the center of online buzz—this time for something other than his legal battles. Following his widely publicized request to reduce child support payments, Williams made headlines for a different reason: his full-frontal performance in the Broadway play "Take Me Out." 

The Blast reported that the leak occurred during a shower scene in the production, where Williams and his co-stars appear fully nude. 

Although Second Stage Theater had implemented a strict no-phone policy, requiring audience members to lock their devices in special cases, one attendee managed to snap and share photos of the actor online.

The images quickly spread across X (formerly Twitter), turning Williams' on-stage nudity into a viral sensation. 

After the internet went wild over leaked photos of his full-frontal scene, Williams addressed the viral moment during a candid appearance on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live.

Joined by co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Williams took the situation in stride and offered insight into how he handled the attention.

In typical Andy Cohen fashion, the host dove right in, asking Williams and his fellow cast members about their experiences performing fully nude on stage. Cohen playfully inquired about how much "fluffing" went on before the actors bared it all.

Williams, remaining calm and good-humored, admitted that audience reactions—or lack thereof—could be nerve-wracking. "A non-reaction is a very interesting reaction. The quiet creates a lot of insecurity," Williams said. 

Cohen pressed further, asking if Williams preferred some kind of audience response. The actor made it clear that he was not a fan of overthinking the moment, stating, "I don't like any of it." 

For Williams, the experience of going fully nude on stage was a first, and he acknowledged how it pushed him out of his comfort zone. "It's a first, so I have nothing to compare it to, and I'll be pretty… I won't be scared of anything after this, that's for sure," he said. 

Will Jesse Williams swiftly settle this dispute with his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, or will it drag on?