Jesse Williams has recently reignited his custody battle with ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee, filing a request on September 10 to alter their custody arrangement for their two children, Sadie and Maceo.
Williams claims that for the past seven years, Drake-Lee has been obstructing his access to their kids, a practice he describes as “gatekeeping.” He argues that despite his efforts to demonstrate healthy co-parenting behaviors, Drake-Lee’s actions have been aimed at creating conflict and disrupting his relationship with the children.
In his legal filings, Williams emphasizes that he has consistently allowed Drake-Lee access to their children and has worked to model positive co-parenting.
He contends that Drake-Lee’s behavior is deliberately obstructive, designed to frustrate his custody rights and damage their relationship. Williams believes that Drake-Lee shows no concern for how her actions affect the children and their connection with him.
Williams is seeking a modification to the existing custody arrangement, which was set in 2017 following their divorce. He proposes that the children stay with him from Wednesday to Friday and with Drake-Lee from Monday to Wednesday, with weekends split between them.
Williams argues that the current schedule is problematic for the children and leads to unnecessary interactions between him and Drake-Lee, which he believes could be resolved with a more balanced custody plan.
The actor accuses Drake-Lee of holding a grudge against him and suggests that changing the custody agreement is one way to address her obstructive behavior. Williams stresses the strong and loving bond he has with his children and argues that there is no justification for Drake-Lee to have more custodial time than he does.
This request is part of a larger ongoing legal dispute between the former spouses, which has also involved issues related to child support and pandemic-related protocols.
In a related development from 2022, Drake-Lee hinted at ongoing issues with their custody arrangement through a social media post.
She questioned the impact of frequent cross-country travel on their children’s health and schooling, suggesting that the current arrangement was disruptive and unreasonable. Her comments reflect persistent concerns about the practicality of their custody schedule and its effects on the children’s routine.