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Ioan Gruffudd, known for his role in the Fantastic Four series, has achieved a significant legal triumph in his ongoing custody dispute with his former wife, Alice Evans, regarding their two young daughters.
The estranged couple finds themselves entangled in a legal battle concerning their daughters, thirteen-year-old Ella and nine-year-old Elsie.
In a recent development, a judge in Los Angeles has sided with the Welsh actor’s request for the involvement of a child psychiatrist to mediate the escalating conflicts between the feuding parents over the wellbeing of their daughters, Ella, 13, and Elsie, nine.
Alice Evans, 55, had vehemently objected to the appointment of a ‘child custody evaluator,’ asserting its unnecessary nature. She further contended that Ioan Gruffudd, 49, had not been in contact with or visited their daughters for nearly three months. She staunchly denied his allegations of her causing ‘serious emotional harm’ to their daughters, dismissing them as baseless claims.
However, following a recent hearing, Judge Josh Freeman Stinn of the LA Superior Court issued a succinct order, granting the petitioner’s (Gruffudd’s) plea for a child custody evaluator to be designated.
The ruling was prompted by Gruffudd submitting a comprehensive 34-page statement, in which he criticized Evans. He accused her of uttering derogatory language towards their daughter Ella, as well as telling the teenager that she would soon have a ‘new father.’
Gruffudd asserted that Evans’ recent statements opposing the evaluator’s involvement and her criticism of him are either ‘false or grossly misleading.’ He presented this stance in a fresh declaration submitted to the court.
Alice has expressed in her own words across various social media posts that I am actively pursuing at least a 50/50 custody arrangement for our children, Ella and Elsie. She has also indicated her opposition to this arrangement and appears to be taking measures to prevent it.
“In my opinion, it is crucial that a specific evaluator is appointed during the hearing scheduled for August 17. This step is essential to prevent further and potentially significant delays in commencing this important process.”
These statements follow accusations made by Ioan, aged 49, against Alice, including claims of “child abuse” after their 13-year-old daughter, Ella, filed a restraining order.
As documented in Los Angeles court records, Ioan, aged 49, has stated, “Alice’s statements and her interference in my relationship with Ella and Elsie have caused them considerable emotional distress. She has consistently undermined and verbally mistreated me in front of our daughters throughout their lives.”
“Starting from January 2021, Alice has actively discouraged and instructed Ella and Elsie not to engage with me or maintain communication. Her correspondence, numbering in the thousands, has been rife with threats and verbal abuse directed at me.”
Ioan, a prominent figure in Hollywood, was granted a restraining order last August against Alice, aged 55. He now alleges that she has repeatedly violated this restraining order, even up to the present time.
Ioan criticizes Alice for what he claims to be her influence over Ella in obtaining her own restraining order against him. He also accuses her of impeding their daughters’ attendance at therapy sessions.
Ioan asserts, “Despite the court order for the girls to attend therapy, Alice has consistently refused to facilitate their participation or has obstructed my efforts to take them to these sessions.”
“Since our separation, our daughters have missed more therapy sessions than they have attended, despite the involvement of multiple therapists. I am deeply concerned about the potential impact of Alice’s actions on our children, which I perceive as a form of child abuse.”
Alice maintains her denial of any mistreatment or harm inflicted upon their daughters.
Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans, who first met while co-starring in the 2000 Disney film “101 Dalmatians,” filed for divorce in March 2021. This decision followed a public statement made by the blonde actress on social media, where she claimed that her husband of 14 years was leaving her and their two daughters.
