Jesse Williams and his ex-wife were ordered to mediate the custody battle

Custody drama between Jesse Williams and his ex-wife, Aryn Drake LeeThe court continues to order them to resolve their differences.

The Grey’s Anatomy star and his ex-mistress have been bickering in court for years, both before and after their divorce settlement in 2019. The actor has been pushing for equal time-sharing with their two children while accusing his ex-wife of stirring up trouble.

Jesse Williams’ efforts to get a better child custody agreement with Aryn Drake-Lee began in September when he pleaded with the court to alleviate his concerns. However, his ex-wife responded with a plea to reject his request, claiming that he had tried to force her to accept his demands.

According to legal documents, the court ordered Williams and Drake Lee to resolve their differences through meditation. They were required to reach an agreement on child custody arrangements on their own or appear at a video conference on March 10, 2025.

The former couple has two children, a daughter named Sadie and a son named Maceo. Williams and Drake Lee previously agreed to a child custody schedule that included the children spending two overnight visits with the actor when school was in session. However, he was dissatisfied with this arrangement.

Last September, the journalist presented his complaints in a lengthy statement before the court, stressing that he needed more time with his children.

He explained that he tried to make the old system work by getting closer to his ex-wife. However, according to In touchthe number of transitions was “unnecessarily difficult” for the children.

Besides the custody arrangement being a hassle for the children, Williams noted that it led to “unnecessary interactions” between him and Drake Lee. To solve these problems, he requested 50/50 custody, arguing that he deserved to spend equal time with the children. In his words:

“The kids and I are crazy about each other, and we have a deep, active, intimately loving relationship. There definitely “There’s no reason for Arin to spend more time in babysitting than me.”

Another reason he wants to adjust his child custody arrangements is because of his ex-wife’s new boyfriend. Williams explained that she told him about her boyfriend in April, revealing that he had been introduced to their children and that she would add him to her pick-up list at school.

Williams appealed to the court to force Drake Lee to reveal everything about her new boyfriend, noting that she refused to answer his questions. He explained: “I have no interest in Arin’s personal life, I care about the safety of my children.”

“They are too young to have phones, and I have to get his contact information/other information the referee requires,” Williams said. However, his ex-wife stopped his request, claiming it was “out of bounds” because he asked for additional information that was not requested.

Drake indicated to me that she was not obligated to provide him with any information when he did not share details related to his personal life. As for the child custody arrangements, she claimed that the film producer enjoyed threatening her with legal action, and her allegations read as follows:

“Jesse uses his lawyers to bully Arin, and regularly makes threats to take Arin to court if she does not comply with his demands, which are usually baseless and full of lies.”

During his efforts to obtain a better child custody arrangement, Explosion It was reported that Williams accused Drake Lee of interfering whenever he tried to bond with their children. He claimed that she constantly blocked his FaceTime calls and prevented the children from attending activities he organised.

The list continued with the artist claiming that Drake Lee manipulated his vacation schedules to limit his time with his children. “Causing drama and trying to ruin our children’s experiences with me is more important to Aryn than their safety, health and happiness,” Williams claimed.

The actor’s desire to spend equal time with his children came two years after he asked for a reduction in his monthly child support bills. He explained that coughing up $40,000 is no longer possible, especially with his 2021 exit from the beloved ABC medical drama.

According to Williams, the popular medical chain was his primary source of income, and without it he would no longer be able to afford the $40,000 child support bill. While on the show, he reportedly earned $6.2 million annually and collected $183,000 of the rest.

Following his passing, Williams claimed to have seen a significant drop in his income and asked for his support bills to be reduced to what he could afford. In addition, he stressed that his children do not need $40,000 a month to meet their needs, noting:

“Our children’s lifestyle was in no way reflective of $40,000 a month in child support. Our children have a modest lifestyle. They do not have expensive hobbies or attend expensive camps.”

Will Jesse Williams and his ex-wife reach a positive agreement regarding the custody arrangements for their children?