Ioan Gruffudd's hopes to spend more time with daughters are crushed
EXCLUSIVE: Ioan Gruffudd’s hopes to spend more time with his estranged daughters, 13 and 9, are crushed after custody hearing is postponed as he accuses soon-to-be ex-wife Alice Evans of ‘inflicting serious emotional harm’ on their kids
- Ioan Gruffudd, 49, intended to request more time with his two daughters at a custody hearing on February 15 with his soon-to-be ex-wife Alice Evans
- DailyMail.com can reveal that it has been postponed until after Evans’s upcoming criminal trial for allegedly violating a restraining order against her
- In a filing, Gruffudd claimed that Evans ‘has inflicted serious emotional harm on Ella and Elsie by her statements and by interfering in my relationship with them’
Fantastic Four star Ioan Gruffudd’s hopes of spending more time with his two estranged young daughters were dashed Wednesday – at least for the next few months.
The Welsh actor’s messy divorce and custody battle with his soon-to-be ex-wife Alice Evans were put on hold by a Los Angeles judge until after Evans’s upcoming criminal trial for allegedly violating a restraining order he has against her.
The warring former couple – who met while filming 102 Dalmations in 1999 – were scheduled to appear February 15 at a custody hearing where Gruffudd, 49, intended to request more time with their daughters, Ella, 13, and Elsie, 9, than the one day a week he gets now.
But Evans, 54, asked Wednesday for a postponement because she was charged last week with two counts of violating a restraining order that prevents her from posting disparaging remarks about Gruffudd or his 29 year-old girlfriend Bianca Wallace on social media.
She’s due to stand trial on those charges in March.
Ioan Gruffudd intended to request more time with his two daughters at a custody hearing on February 15 with his soon-to-be ex-wife Alice Evans. DailyMail.com can reveal that it has been postponed until after Evans’ upcoming criminal trial for allegedly violating a restraining order he has against her
In December, the Welsh actor filed for custody and visitation rights to see his children, Elsie, now 9, and Ella, 13
Her attorney, Marie LaMolinara, argued that testimony Alice gives at the custody hearing could be used against her in her later criminal trial, which would violate her right, under the 5th Amendment, not to incriminate herself, according to new court documents obtained by DailyMail.com
‘I share in concerns about having Alice submit any written or oral testimony elicited under penalty of perjury in connection with Ioan’s pending request until the criminal matter has been fully adjudicated,’ LaMolinara wrote.
Gruffudd was married to Evans for 14 years before their messy split
‘As the Restraining Order and the pending allegations of violations thereof must necessarily be considered by the court (the Family Court that’s ruling on custody)….and because Alice has a 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination, the hearing on the pending RFO (Gruffudd’s request for a new custody agreement) should appropriately be continued.’
Gruffudd vehemently opposed any delay, saying in a written declaration, ‘I do not believe a continuance of the February 2023 hearing would be in the children’s best interests.
‘I initially filed the custody RFO because of Alice’s ongoing behavior toward me and toward the children, and because I believed she was interfering in my relationship with them.
‘I believe Alice continues to interfere in my relationships with the children to this day, and I believe that further custody orders are imperative at this time to prevent additional damage to the relationships and emotional harm to Ella and Elsie as a result of Alice’s continuing behavior.’
Despite Gruffudd’s objection – and his attorney’s contention that Evans’s testimony is ‘not necessary for the court to make interim custody orders…so she could assert her Fifth Amendment rights if she wishes’ – LA Superior Court Judge Josh Freeman Stinn sided with Evans.
He granted her request for a continuance and re-scheduled the custody hearing to July 13.
But he encouraged the exes ‘to meet and confer to ensure that the proper balance is achieved’ between Evans’ FifthAmendment right and Gruffudd’s desire for more time with the children.
Evans turned up at court on Monday where she pleaded not guilty to breaking the restraining order
A judge granted Evans’ request for a continuance and re-scheduled the custody hearing to July 13
Gruffudd claimed in his filing that Evans had been interfering with communication between him and his children. He also petitioned that the girls attend in-person therapy and reunification therapy via zoom
Evans pleaded not guilty Monday to two charges of violating a restraining order brought against her last August that bars her for the next three years from making ‘any posts on any social media account, including but not limited to Instagram and Twitter, harassing or disturbing the peace of’ Gruffudd or Wallace.
Evans’s appearance at the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles saved her from being arrested for not showing up to a scheduled court date last Thursday.
Evans pleaded not guilty Monday to two charges of violating a restraining order brought against her last August by Gruffudd
She’s due to appear at a pre-trial hearing February 23 and her trial is tentatively scheduled for March. She remains free on her own recognizance.
Gruffudd filed for divorce in March last year after Evans claimed on social media that her husband of 14 years was walking out on her and their two daughters.
She repeatedly blasted him on social media until he sought the restraining order preventing her from sharing their private messages or bashing him and Wallace online.
Gruffudd filed for joint custody of his two daughters last July after Evans filed for sole custody amid their acrimonious divorce.
As well as requesting visitation rights, he claimed in the filing that Evans had been purposely trying to cut communication between him and his children.
He also petitioned that the girls attend in-person therapy and reunification therapy via zoom with him pending court-ordered mediation about custody.
In court filings, Gruffudd accused Evans of verbally abusing him during their marriage, and ‘undermin[ing him] in front of the girls throughout their lives.’
‘Alice made fun of my appearance often, making hair-loss comments and telling me I had ”saggy-vagina eyes,”’ court papers read.
He went on to claim that Evans ‘has inflicted serious emotional harm on Ella and Elsie by her statements and by interfering in my relationship with them.’
Ioan now dates Bianca Wallace. Evans repeatedly blasted him and Wallace on social media until he sought a restraining order
Evans has repeatedly taken to social media to speak out about the split, and one post accused Gruffudd of using money that should have been spent on their daughters’ wellbeing on his legal case
In a video before the former couple’s separation in January 2021, which Gruffudd presented as evidence in the filing, Evans allegedly told Ella she would be ‘getting a new daddy.’
‘In a FaceTime I had with the girls on March 3, Ella said Alice falsely told her that I wanted Alice to commit suicide, and that Ella probably would not have a mummy anymore,’ Gruffudd wrote in the petition.
‘Ella told me, ”Daddy, this is making me very sad,” and, ”if I don’t agree with her, apparently I am a bad daughter.”
Alice has risked violating her restraining order after taking to social media to post about their separation.
On Instagram, she wrote: ‘I’m working out to try to calm myself down because I am being GASLIT. Freaking GASLIT.
‘With my kids, with the places I usually go to. Everything. I can’t leave the house without being photographed and told that I am fat and horrible whereas ‘B’ is so slim….
She signed off: ‘… I cannot deal for much longer.’
A source said of the recent restrictions: ‘Ioan had no choice but to up his legal fight over Alice.
‘She had become increasingly volatile and seemingly intent on destroying his career with her character assassination. He hopes this will put an end to it.’
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