Summary of Request for Order for Child Custody, Visitation, and Individual Therapy and Reunification for the Minor Children
Part 2
Declaration of Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan states that he and Alice participated in a collaborative law divorce process until March 22, 2021, when Alice ended it. Ioan states that the communications during that process are confidential, but Alice has refused to enter into any stipulation for custody and therapy orders.
Since Ioan moved out of the family residence in January 2021, Alice has "inflicted serious emotional harm" on Ella and Elsie by her statements and interfering in his relationship with the children. Alice has verbally abused and undermined Ioan in front of the children throughout their lives. She has encouraged and instructed the children not to see Ioan or communicate with him, and has made hundreds if not thousands of threatening and abusive communications to him and about him.
Because of Alice's conduct, Ioan has only seen Elsie once in person since July 31, 2021, when she and the nanny drove past him on July 7, 2022 and stopped to say hello. Ioan has not seen Ella in person since July 31, 2021.
Until January 2021, Ioan was often the parent who took primary care of the girls. He took care of their needs as infants, as toddlers, and helped them with homework, he took them to school and took them to doctor and dentist appointments. When in Los Angeles, he woke the children for school, made breakfast and school lunches, and took them to school. Alice would often stay up late into the night and sleep until late in the mornings. Alice often stayed in bed throughout the mornings or into the afternoons, and her focus was watching television and being on social media. Ioan had serious concerns about Alice's use of alcohol and Ambien.
Ioan believes that Gloria, who he hired, was the primary caretaker of the children while Ioan was away for work. When Ioan traveled, he was in regular contact with the girls. Gloria took care of getting the girls ready for school, making them breakfast, and taking them to school. On Saturday mornings, Gloria or her daughter were there.
On weekends, Ioan would get up with the girls and make breafast. They watched soccer, and after the separation, Ioan signed Elsie up for soccer classes, took her to practices, and bought her kit, cleats, and soccer ball. He and Elsie would talk and laugh on the way to class, and Ioan watched her practice during class. Ella and Ioan tried for months together at home for Ella to accomplish a back handspring. They played in the pool for hours and Ioan took them to playdates and birthday parties, and taught them how to ride bicycles. They often rode bicycles and scooters together in the driveway.
More to follow...