Full Breakdown
Rumer Willis and Derek Richard Thomas Locked in Custody Battle Over Daughter Louetta
8/30/2026, 3:57:38 AM
Core Dispute Overview
A June 9 custody order from the Los Angeles Superior Court gave actress Rumer Willis primary physical custody of her three-year-old daughter, Louetta, and granted Derek Richard Thomas weekend parenting time that will shift to unmonitored overnight visits after a six-week supervised period. Willis previously accused Thomas of emotional abuse and “incessant domestic violence,” seeking to limit his overnight time pending a custody evaluation.
Background & Context
Willis and Thomas began dating in 2022 and welcomed Louetta in 2023. They separated in 2024 and have since filed multiple motions over custody, supervision, and communication. Willis relocated from California to Nashville, a move Thomas says violated their court-ordered travel restriction.
Timeline
- June 9 – Court order grants Willis primary physical custody; Thomas receives every-other-weekend visits starting June 20, subject to six weeks of supervised visitation.
- June 20 – First scheduled weekend visit for Thomas.
- August 22 – Willis confirms the split in an Instagram “Ask Me Anything” session.
- August 27 – Thomas files a declaration asking the court to uphold the June 9 order and alleging Willis blocks his access.
- August 29 – Thomas’s attorney Mike Kretzmer says unmonitored overnight visits were to begin the last weekend of August and that Willis’s actions will be addressed at a hearing.
- September 10 (scheduled) – Court hearing to consider Thomas’s objections and Willis’s request to modify custody.
Data & Statistics
- Child: Louetta, age 3.
- Custody: Primary physical custody to Willis; joint legal custody.
- Visitation: Six weeks of supervised visits, then intended unmonitored weekend and overnight visits.
- Travel restriction: Neither parent may take Louetta out of California without a written agreement.
Official Statements & Responses
- Thomas’s declaration rejects Willis’s drug-abuse allegations, stating, “I reject completely and without reservation Respondent’s claims concerning my alleged abuse of drugs….”
- Willis’s filings allege “hours-long emotional tirades” and “coercive control,” claiming the behavior endangers Louetta and requesting the court deny overnight visits pending evaluation.
- Attorney Mike Kretzmer (representing Thomas) calls Willis’s recent filing “reckless and demonstrably false,” accusing her of moving to Nashville without court permission and “thwarting the Court’s orders.”
Criticism & Opposition
- Thomas’s legal team says Willis is using supervision as a bargaining chip and violated the June 9 order by relocating the child.
- Willis’s allegations accuse Thomas of emotional abuse, domestic violence and erratic behavior that she says jeopardizes Louetta’s wellbeing.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Drug-use allegation: Willis claimed Thomas was “so high on marijuana” that he could not supervise; Thomas denies any drug use. No independent testing or court ruling is cited.
- Emotional-abuse claim: Willis alleges a sustained pattern of abuse; Thomas denies it, and the court has not issued a finding.
- Travel and relocation: Thomas’s attorney frames Willis’s move to Nashville as a violation of the travel restriction, though no court order confirming the legality of the move is referenced.
What’s Next
The September 10 hearing will address Thomas’s request to maintain the June 9 order, Willis’s petition to modify custody and visitation, and alleged violations of travel and supervision provisions. The decision will determine whether unmonitored overnight visits commence as scheduled and whether additional restrictions on either parent’s access to Louetta are imposed.
