Jesse Williams' Ex-Wife Sparks Parenting Debate After Opening Up About How His Work Impacts Their Kids
He needs to work to support his kids but it is taking a toll.
Ga Fullner | Shutterstock | Instagram Jesse Williams' ex-wife has sparked a parenting debate after opening up about her frustration with long-distance parenting amid their custody battle.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Aryn Drake-Lee, 40, shared with her followers the struggle of trying to co-parent.
Jesse Williams' ex-wife says his traveling for work is taking a toll on their kids.
"Is it good for the health and wellness of a 7yr and 8yr old to be taken out of school on a regular basis to fly cross country overnight on a red eye to be on the ground for two days?" Drake-Lee wrote alongside a selfie.
"Is it reasonable for them to return dazed and confused and then be expected to pick right up and survive at school the rest of the week? I don’t think so! Neither do any of the parents who actually parent on a routine basis," she continued.
Drake-Lee, who didn't explicitly name Williams in the post, concluded, "There’s a name for the condition of an adult who expects their children to indulge, caregive and service that adult’s desires at the childrens’ expense."
She added two hashtags spelling out the phrases "Receipts seasons" and "I have stayed quiet for far too long."
In the comments of her post, Drake-Lee's followers reacted to her post.
"Fight for your children’s well-being," one user wrote, while another added, "Not ok."
While some sided with her, others pointed out that it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal.
"I mean don’t he got to work to pay your monthly payment? Sounds like a very privileged thing honestly," one user wrote, referring to the $6,413 a month Williams gives his ex-wife.
Drake-Lee and Williams, who married in 2012 before later divorcing in 2020, have been embroiled in a nasty custody battle that was eventually settled in March 2022.
However, it seems the exes are no longer on the same page, with Drake-Lee making her post following a TMZ report that Williams requested an update to their prior custody agreement.
Williams, who is currently preparing for the second run of Broadway's "Take Me Out" production in New York, filed a request for an emergency custody hearing earlier this month.
The former 'Greys Anatomy' actor asked that the four consecutive days he gets with his children while working in New York be extended to include days in the months of October, as well as during the kids' Thanksgiving break, and through January.
Williams, who shares two children with his ex-wife, daughter Sadie, 8, and son Maceo, 7, claimed in the documents that Drake-Lee is not allowing their children to return to New York for his second stint on Broadway.
"I asked Aryn to honor the Court’s prior order so I can continue to spend quality time with our children while I am in New York. Aryn refused," he said in the documents, obtained by TMZ.
Previously, Williams had gone back to court in June 2022 to request that Drake-Lee not interfere or block the time he spends with their two children.
Williams' request prompted Drake-Lee to respond, alleging that her ex-husband had been "bullying" her, "harassing her" and "having tantrums" over their custodial agreement.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.