A Los Angeles court has denied an emergency custody request filed by James Heerdegen, the ex-husband of actress Christina Ricci. Heerdegen sought custody of their 11-year-old son, Freddie, after the child reportedly texted his father claiming Ricci had been drinking alcohol on a flight to Canada on June 16.
Court documents state that Freddie's text messages described both the manner in which Ricci consumed alcohol and her subsequent behavior. However, two days after sending these messages, Freddie spoke with his legal counsel. During this conversation, the child stated that he had "overreacted" in sending the texts to his father. He also clarified that his description of Ricci's alcohol consumption and behavior was not accurate.
Freddie further communicated to his counsel that he "had no fear in continuing to be in Ms. Ricci's primary physical custody." Based on these developments, the court denied Heerdegen's emergency order. The court also granted Ricci's request to seal the text messages, citing concerns that unsealing them could lead to additional bullying and jeopardize Freddie's mental health.
Ricci and Heerdegen were married in 2013 and welcomed Freddie the following year. Ricci filed for divorce in 2020, and the divorce was finalized in December 2021. Ricci also has a younger daughter, Cleopatra, with her current husband, Mark Hampton, whom she married in October 2021.