26 June 2023

Christina Ricci has claimed her “vindictive” ex-husband wouldn’t let her take their son on a trip.

Christina Ricci is embroiled in another custody row

The ‘Yellowjackets’ star accused James Heerdegen – who she split from in 2020 after seven years of marriage amid allegations he domestically abused her – of having barred their eight-year-old son Freddie travel with her on a professional jaunt to New York City as she made a bid for an emergency court hearing to discuss their custody issues.

According to court documents submitted on 20 June seen by the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column, the 43-year-old actress alleged: “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.”

The ‘Wednesday’ star – who also has 17-month-old daughter Cleopatra with husband Mark Hampton – included screenshots of text messages in which James seemingly wrote he “didn’t have a problem” with Freddie going to New York for “a couple of days”.

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But on 19 June, he allegedly texted that there were a “number of pending matters” they needed to address in court, so Christina was concerned her ex-husband would “renege” on their agreement if the hearing didn’t go his way.

The ‘Addams Family’ actress went on to accuse James of “purposefully” making her “incur attorneys’ fees unnecessarily,” which she is concerned could affect her “employment and professional reputation.”

She added in her documents: “I also ask that the court consider retaliatory litigation conduct when making custody orders. This is the second ex parte that I have had to file requesting that I be permitted to travel with Freddie for work.”

Christina alleged the first ex parte – an order that doesn’t give opposing parties the usual level of notice – was filed in January when James “reneged on his agreement to allow Freddie to travel with [her] for work in Canada.”

She accused her former spouse of having “retaliated” by “filing his own ex parte requesting that the court eliminate [her] tie-breaking authority on education.”

She added: “Jimmy seems to be more focused on harassing and punishing me than on Freddie’s best interests.”