Jesse Williams Awarded Desired Visitation Rights While Working in NYC Over Ex-Wife’s Objections

Grey’s Anatomy actor Jesse Williams and his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, returned to court last week after he requested visitation rights over Drake-Lee’s objections.

The latest ruling gives the stage and TV actor the visitation rights in what has been a lengthy court battle. According to People, the couple, who was married for five years and share two children, have been in and out of court since the actor filed for divorce in 2017.

According to court documents, both parents appeared in court September 30. As he moves to New York City to return to his starring role in the hit Broadway revival of Take Me Out, Williams was awarded the visitation rights he wanted with his son and daughter. Previously, the court granted him custody of his kids for four consecutive days a month while he was working in New York last spring.

His ex did not want the request granted but the judge wasn’t swayed. The court ruled that their two children can do so on specific days in October, November, and December. Drake-Lee wanted the kids to stay in Los Angeles.

In addition to the latest judgment, the court also stated that Williams and Drake-Lee would have to complete 10 sessions of co-parenting counseling.

The order also specifically stated that “each party is restrained from making derogatory remarks about the other party, either directly or indirectly to the minor children, nor allow any third party to do so.” The former couple can not “discuss this case with or in front of the minor children nor allow anyone else to do so” or use their children as “a messenger to deliver messages to the other parent.”

They must also comply with similar orders online as the judge said that neither parent can “post derogatory remarks about the other party that the minor children can see in social media.”

In April, after settling a child custody dispute between the couple,  a judge lowered the amount of Williams’ child support payments, which was $40,000 monthly. The payments were “temporarily modified” to $6,413 due to Williams’ current salary on Take Me Out.