“Grey’s Anatomy” As mediation fails, Jesse Williams and his ex-wife are still at odds over custody

In his custody dispute with ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee, Jesse Williams is refusing to back down from her accusations that he has been “bullying” her.

The court earlier ordered them to settle their disputes in 2024, but their legal struggle has been dragging on ever since.

After eight years of marriage, Jesse Williams and his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, finalized their divorce in 2019. They have two children together: a son named Maceo and a daughter named Sadie.

As the custody dispute continues, Jesse Williams responds to his ex-wife’s “bullying” accusations.

“Aryn makes erratic and conclusory statements which have no relationship to reality, which is why she has never presented a single example of ‘bullying’ etc. ever happening,” Williams wrote in his most recent court filing, dismissing her claims.

Additionally, Williams accused his ex-wife of being unruly and said she had consistently broken their custody agreement. He said, “Asking Aryn to follow orders, or holding my ground during her obstructive attempts immediately triggers this claim that she’s being bullied.”

He described how she allegedly denied their children their passports, pulled them from school on his assigned days, and lied to him about their extracurricular activities so he couldn’t go.

Williams went on to say, according to In Touch, that Drake-Lee regularly signs their kids up for camps without asking his permission and then wants him to pay for them.

The ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star is advocating for sole legal custody of care for children.

Because Drake-Lee has been “combative and evasive” when it comes to making critical health decisions, the father-of-two is also seeking sole legal custody of his children’s medical care in his lawsuit.

Williams is requesting that Drake-Lee return an Apple Watch he purchased for their kid, claiming she stole it. He is also working to amend their present custody agreement.

The statement said, “I request that the Court order Aryn to return the Apple Watch to me immediately and admonish her for taking the watch and other items I have given to the children.”

Williams further fueled the flames by accusing his ex-wife of obstructing multiple FaceTime calls with their kids and neglecting to provide details about her new partner.

How His Ex-Wife’s Claims Were Initiated by the Actor’s Demand for Change

The TV personality’s rebuttal to his ex-wife’s charges of bullying was not unexpected. The allegations seem to have come to light when he tried to change their parenting agreement.

Williams’ ex-wife quickly reacted negatively to his request for revisions to the agreement by leveling serious charges against him. She appeared willing to grant the Williams additional time with their kids at the moment, but only if she was granted custody of the kids while he was out of town.

Drake-Lee’s reaction, though, went further. She claimed that Williams “bullies, intimidates and harasses” her in court documents. “Jesse wants to handcuff [Aryn] to the orders while ignoring most of the rules for himself,” according to her filing.

Williams’s suggested modifications, she added, were better suited to his convenience “at the expense of our children’s mental, psychological, emotional and physical health.”

They asked the director and his ex-wife to mediate.

The court mandated that Drake-Lee and Williams use mediation to resolve their custody disputes. According to the legal mandate, they had to come to a decision on their own or risk a hearing by video conference on March 10, 2025.

According to The Blast, the ex-couple had previously reached a custody agreement that let Williams to spend two nights with their kids throughout the academic year. This arrangement did not satisfy the 43-year-old.

In September, he formally contested the arrangement because he was determined to spend more time with his kids. He underlined the challenges the current schedule presents in a thorough court declaration.

To fulfill his parenting duties, Williams even moved closer to his ex-wife; yet, this did not make the logistical challenges any easier. According to reports, the children found the frequent back-and-forth changes to be “unnecessarily challenging”

Regarding his ex-wife’s new boyfriend, Jesse Williams fights for equal custody and transparency.

Williams also advocated for a 50/50 custody agreement, saying the existing arrangement requires his kids to spend needless time with their mother and disturbs their routine.

He emphasized their close relationship and stressed that he should have equal time with his children. Williams sought information regarding Drake-Lee’s new boyfriend in addition to custody.

She told him in April that the man had already met their children and was even included to the school’s list of people to be picked up, he disclosed.

Williams, frustrated by her lack of openness, asked the court to mandate that she provide information. “I have no interest in Aryn’s personal life; I care about my children’s safety,” he said.

It’s unclear if Jesse Williams will be able to obtain additional custody rights or if this conflict will continue to worsen as tensions rise.