'Grey’s Anatomy' Jesse Williams And Ex-Wife Continue To Butt Heads Over Custody As Mediation Fails

Jesse Williams is standing his ground in his custody battle with ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee, pushing back against her claims that he has been "bullying" her.

Their legal battle has been dragging on, with the court previously ordering them in 2024 to mediate their differences. 

Jesse Williams and his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, who were married for eight years before finalizing their divorce in 2019, share two children: adaughter, Sadie, and a son, Maceo.

Williams dismissed her allegations in his latest court filing, stating, "Aryn makes erratic and conclusory statements which have no relationship to reality, which is why she has never presented a single example of 'bullying' etc. ever happening."

Williams also accused his ex-wife of disruptive behavior, claiming she has repeatedly disregarded their custody agreement. He argued, "Asking Aryn to follow orders, or holding my ground during her obstructive attempts immediately triggers this claim that she's being bullied."

He detailed instances where she allegedly withheld their children's passports, removed them from school on his designated days, and misled him about their extracurricular schedules to prevent him from attending.

Per In Touch, Williams further claimed that Drake-Lee frequently enrolls their children in camps without consulting him and then expects him to cover the costs. 

In his filing, the father-of-two is also requesting sole legal custody over his children's medical care, arguing that Drake-Lee has been "combative and evasive" when it comes to making important health decisions.

Williams, who is also pushing to revise their current custody agreement, is demanding that Drake-Lee return an Apple Watch he bought for their daughter, alleging she took it.

The statement read, "I request that the Court order Aryn to return the Apple Watch to me immediately and admonish her for taking the watch and other items I have given to the children."

Adding fuel to the fire, Williams accused his ex-wife of blocking several of his FaceTime calls with their children and failing to provide information about her new boyfriend. 

The TV personality's pushback against his ex-wife's bullying accusations did not come out of nowhere. The claims appear to have surfaced when he attempted to modify their custody arrangement.

As soon as Williams sought changes to the agreement, his ex-wife swiftly opposed his request with strong accusations. At the time, she seemed open to giving the Williams more time with their children, but on the condition that she had custody whenever he was out of town.

However, Drake-Lee's response did not stop there. In court filings, she alleged Williams "bullies, intimidates and harasses" her. "Jesse wants to handcuff [Aryn] to the orders while ignoring most of the rules for himself," her filing stated. 

She further argued that Williams's proposed changes catered more to his convenience "at the expense of our children's mental, psychological, emotional and physical health."

The court ordered Williams and Drake-Lee to work out their custody disagreements through mediation. The legal directive required them to reach a resolution independently or face a video conference hearing scheduled for March 10, 2025.

The Blast reports that the former couple previously agreed on a custody schedule that allowed Williams to have two overnight visits with their children during the school year. The 43-year-old found this arrangement unsatisfactory.

Determined to have more time with his children, he formally challenged the agreement in September. In a detailed court declaration, he emphasized the difficulties the current schedule poses.

Williams even relocated closer to his ex-wife to accommodate his parenting responsibilities, but his efforts did not ease the logistical struggles. The frequent back-and-forth transitions reportedly proved to be "unnecessarily challenging" for the children. 

Williams also pushed for a 50/50 custody arrangement, claiming the current setup not only disrupts his children's routine but also forces unnecessary interactions with their mother. 

He insisted that he deserved equal time with his kids, emphasizing their strong bond. Beyond custody, Williams also demanded answers about Drake-Lee's new boyfriend.

He revealed that she informed him in April that the man had already met their kids and was even added to the school's pick-up list.

Frustrated by her lack of transparency, Williams urged the court to require her to share details. "I have no interest in Aryn's personal life; I care about my children's safety," he declared.

With tensions escalating, it remains to be seen whether Jesse Williams will succeed in securing more custody rights or if this battle will rage on even longer.