The Lily van der Woodsen of 'Gossip Girl' gains sole custody of her two children who have been living in Monaco with their father since 2012.
- May 25, 2015
AceShowbiz - Kelly Rutherford has finally earned a victory in the long custody battle of her two children with her ex-husband Daniel Giersch. The former "Gossip Girl" star was granted temporary sole legal and physical custody of her kids, Hermes, 8, and Helena, almost 6.
A California judge demands the children be brought back to the United States from Monaco where they have been living with Giersch since 2012. 46-year-old Rutherford is allowed to keep their passports pending further legal proceedings to determine permanent custody.
Rutherford split from Giersch while she was pregnant with Helena. The couple was supposed to share joint custody but a court ruling in 2012 ordered the kids to live with Giersch so that they didn't have to make a long trip to visit their father who couldn't enter the States after his visa was revoked.
The joint custody remained but Rutherford was ordered to do the travelling since she was able to enter Europe. The actress later claimed she got turned away when trying to visit her kids. According to her, she was not allowed to see the children during her most recent visit unless she gave their U.S. passports to "a neutral person" whom she claimed to be one of her ex-husband's attorneys.
Rutherford was forced to file for bankruptcy due to her long custody battle with her former spouse. A petition to gain government attention drew support from celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Rutherford's "Gossip Girl" co-star Ed Westwick earlier this month.
