It seems like the international custody battle that has plagued actress Kelly Rutherford and her German husband has finally come to a close. According to reports, the actress lost her final appeal when the Monaco courts ruled that she would no longer be able to travel with the children or have them visit her in the United States. Rutherford will be able to visit the children in either France or Monaco unless both parties are able to negotiate another arrangement. She still retains joint decision-making power with her ex when it comes to major issues in the children’s lives.
While the final decision as surely a disappointment for Rutherford, it was not unexpected to those who had been following the case over the years. Both parties have made allegations of parental alienation in the years-long custody battle. Originally, Rutherford’s ex-husband had to move out of the country due to a visa issue, but she was still able to visit the children in Monaco as well as bring them to the United States during her parenting times.
However, Rutherford’s refusal to return the children after their summer vacation with her earlier this year proved to be a turning point in the case. Both California and New York courts refused to claim jurisdiction in the custody case, forcing Monaco to make the decisions. The Monaco courts gave custody of the children to their father.
Rutherford was told to appear at the courthouse in the United States with the children so they could go back to Monaco but arrived without them. Eventually, the children were produced and sent back with their father but not before the allegations of kidnapping and whether Rutherford could be trusted to return the children had come into play.
Source: Parent Herald, “Kelly Rutherford Loses Child Custody Battle in Monaco — Details Here,” Dec. 17, 2015