The divorce drama has escalated between Jaime King and her ex, Kyle Newman. Last week, Newman filed his request for primary physical custody of the pair’s children.
According to documents obtained by ET, which were filed on Nov. 4, Newman claims that, since February, King has “largely been an absent parent in the minor children’s lives, either away at work in Canada or otherwise choosing to be away from them for weeks and month at a time during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Furthermore, Newman claims he’s been “the primary caregiver” for their children — 7-year-old James and 5-year-old Leo — for “the majority of their lives‚ and the sole parent the large majority of 2020.”
Newman is asking the court to grant him and King joint legal custody, but grant him “primary physical custody with visitation to Jaime of alternating weekends and one evening per week.”
King’s rep denied Newman’s claims in a statement to People, sharing, “Once again, Kyle’s lawyers have filed selectively redacted documents which perpetuate a false narrative about Jaime. Jaime’s utmost priority has been the well-being of her children and she will continue to pursue this privately for their sake.”
In his filing, Newman is also asking the court to mandate “monitored supervised visits with the children” as well as “alcohol testing when the [children] are in her custody.”
Newman claims in the documents that King failed an alcohol stipulation test in June, and alleges that she then missed the next five scheduled retests that day. Newman claims he is “concerned” for his children’s wellbeing “while in their mother’s care” and alleges that she exhibits “dangerous and erratic behavior while under the influence of alcohol.”
King and Newman’s divorce has been notably contentious and public. King filed for divorce in May, and filed a request for a restraining order against Newman at the same time.
The Hart of Dixie star had been married to Newman, a director, for 12 years and they were together for 15.
In her request for a restraining order, King claimed she’d been a victim of verbal and emotional abuse. Newman, on his end, also filed an ex parte request days after the divorce, denying allegations of abuse, and making his own allegations of substance abuse and infidelity against her.
In June, King withdrew her request for a restraining order.
ET has reached out to King and Newman for comment on the latest development in their ongoing custody battle.
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