Rumer Willis has filed an emergency request with a judge to ensure that her ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas' visits with their three-year-old daughter, Loretta, are supervised. Willis claims that Thomas has violated previous custody orders and shown poor judgment regarding their child.
Thomas, 33, has denied these allegations, asserting that Willis is obstructing his time with Loretta and is seeking to maintain the original plan for unmonitored visits. Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail indicate that the custody dispute between Willis, 37, and Thomas has been ongoing since July 2025.
Willis' filing stated that Thomas has had only five and a half visits with their daughter due to disagreements over scheduled nannies. She alleged that while a court-approved nanny was assigned, she had to withdraw due to a health issue. Willis claimed that Thomas refused to accept replacement nannies and that he and his lawyer sought to allow unsupervised visits, contradicting a June 9 court order mandating supervision.
One incident described in the filing involved Thomas allegedly leaving Loretta with the supervising nanny at a Fourth of July parade. Willis further claimed that Thomas later prevented the nanny from entering an Airbnb where he was staying with their daughter and friends, instructing the nanny to wait outside in hot weather. Willis also alleged that Thomas attempted to arrange an unsupervised visit, arguing the specific nanny was not named in the court order, and declined an offer to host the visit at her home.
In terms of unsafe judgment, Willis cited an instance where Thomas reportedly walked two and a half miles in extreme heat with Loretta instead of arranging transportation. Willis is requesting that Thomas's visits remain supervised and that overnight stays be blocked until a formal hearing. She also seeks to maintain supervised visitation pending a court-ordered child custody evaluation.
Thomas, through his attorney Mike Kretzmer, responded to the allegations. Kretzmer stated that Willis' claims are false and that the court had ordered unmonitored, overnight visits to begin in late August. He accused Willis of filing a "reckless and demonstrably false pleading" in an attempt to avoid complying with court orders favoring Thomas. Kretzmer added that Willis has also moved with their child to Nashville without permission, further hindering Thomas's custody and visitation rights.
Kretzmer asserted that Thomas is a capable and devoted father and has not used illicit substances or engaged in any conduct that would put their child at risk. He stated that Thomas rejects all claims of drug abuse or endangerment of Loretta, and any failure to cooperate with co-parenting efforts.
Willis was temporarily awarded primary physical custody of Loretta in June. Thomas has filed a legal objection to her recent request to modify their existing court orders. He is seeking to uphold the June decision, which stipulated that neither parent could take Loretta out of California without a court order or written agreement. Thomas alleged that Willis has actively worked to interfere with his relationship with their daughter since her move to Nashville.