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Judge Grants Jesse Williams’ Visitation Requests and Orders Co-Parenting Sessions Amid Custody Battle with Ex-Wife Aryn Drake-Lee

Jesse Williams will continue to have access to his two children with ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee as he continues his stint on Broadway in New York City. Williams made his stage debut in the revival of the Tony Award-winning play “Take Me Out.”

In a previous court filing, the actor was granted four consecutive days with 8-year-old daughter Sade and 7-year-old son Maceo. According to the new order, which was obtained by PEOPLE, the “Grey’s Anatomy” star will be given specific visitation days in NYC during the fall months. The couple has also been ordered to attend 10 sessions of co-parenting counseling. 

The judge’s ruling took place during a Sept. 30 court hearing that both Williams and Drake-Lee attended. Other specifics include both parents being ordered not to discuss their legal battle with or in front of the children, nor to make disparaging remarks or social media posts about each other.

The former couple was together for over a decade; they were married for five years before their divorce was finalized in 2020. Drake-Lee previously argued visitation should take place in Los Angeles where she and the kids live. Following the latest court session, the realtor loosely expressed her frustrations with the judge’s decision. “It turns out the court does think it’s good for children to regularly fly on overnight flights to accommodate a parent who won’t do the same for them,” she wrote on Instagram.

In a previous post, she explained that her intentions were never to rob Williams of time with their two children. “Of course children should spend quality time with each parent. And the conditions under which that happens matter. I have never deprived him of his time. Though I have consistently asked that it honors their developmental stages and routines,” she wrote. 

In his past filings, Williams has alleged that his ex-wife did not adhere to their custody agreement and did not allow the children to have daily phone calls with him. Drake-Lee also addressed the latter claim online, writing, “All I ask is that calls happen when our children are most likely to be interested and available vs during the hardest hours of the day. Our kids are also old enough to voice when they do and don’t want to answer now.”

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