LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Christina Ricci, currently starring in the thriller series 'Yellowjackets', has taken legal action against her ex-husband James Heerdegen, alleging that he obstructed her plans to take their eight-year-old son Freddie on a short trip to New York City. Ricci filed an emergency hearing request to address the matter, stating that Heerdegen initially had no objections to the trip while she was filming a project.
According to her court filing, Ricci accused her ex-husband of exhibiting "vindictive" and "retaliatory" behavior, alleging that he had a change of heart and prohibited their son from accompanying her on the trip, as per People. "Jimmy's refusal to agree causes me concern, because he clearly was being vindictive and retaliatory when he initially refused my request to travel for the additional dates. As recently as Monday, June 19 2023, Jimmy was agreeable to allowing Freddie to travel with me, but apparently he still wants to wait until our hearing to discuss it," Ricci wrote in the documents.
James Heerdegen accused Christina Ricci of 'emotionally abusing' their son
According to Ricci's statement, she mentioned that she and her ex-husband had previously agreed on their son traveling with her to New York. She stated that when circumstances changed due to the extended shooting schedule, she requested permission for Freddie to accompany her for the additional days, but Heerdegen refused her request.
Ricci claimed that Heerdegen accused Ricci of "emotionally abusing" their son and that they would talk about it in a hearing that week. "I am concerned that if the hearing doesn't go Jimmy's way, he will renege. Jimmy's conduct is purposefully making me incur attorneys' fees unnecessarily and may have an impact on my employment and professional reputation."
Christina Ricci and James Heerdegen were together for 7 years
Ricci and Heerdegen, both working in the entertainment industry, initially met over a decade ago while collaborating on the television series 'Pan Am', in which Ricci starred alongside Margot Robbie. They got married in 2013 but Ricci filed for divorce in 2020. Their relationship grew increasingly strained, and in January 2021, Ricci obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Heerdegen. In a court filing, Ricci made allegations of severe physical and emotional abuse inflicted by Heerdegen, stating that their young son had witnessed many of these acts. Heerdegen's attorney, in response, issued a statement denying all the abuse allegations made by Ricci in 2020.
Despite the previous abuse allegations and restraining order, Ricci and Heerdegen were able to reach an agreement on a custody arrangement for their son in April 2021. According to court documents, they agreed that Freddie would accompany Ricci to Vancouver, Canada for her work, while Heerdegen would have regular monitored visitation time. Ricci was responsible for covering his travel and accommodation expenses, and she even selected a hotel for him in case he chose to visit Canada for visitation purposes. Heerdegen was also granted 15-minute FaceTime calls with their son three times per week.
