Kelly Rutherford’s 2 Kids Live Abroad with Their Father After She Lost Custody of Them

Kelly Rutherford's kids lived full-time with their father after the actress lost custody of them. Luckily, the star still built a tight bond with the pair.

Kelly Rutherford is an actress known for stunning roles on shows like "Melrose Place," "Gossip Girl," "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists," and "Dynasty." When she isn't focusing on her career, she's a doting mother to her two children.

The actress was married to her husband, who had spotted her during one of her morning walks. They married in 2006, shortly before they became parents to their first child. Unfortunately, while she was pregnant with their second child, they started their divorce proceedings.

Who Are Kelly Rutherford's Kids?

In October 2006, Kelly, then 37, and her husband, Daniel Giersch, then 32, became first-time parents when they welcomed their baby boy, Hermès Gustaf Daniel. Their son arrived at 8 a.m., weighing 8 1/2 lbs. and 22 inches long, at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

By the time the news broke, Kelly and her newborn baby were comfortably at home since they lived a few blocks from the hospital. In June 2009, Hermès, then two, became an older brother to his sister, Helena Grace, when their mother was 40.

Kelly was estranged from her husband and her children's father then. Sadly, the actress and her husband couldn't make their relationship work, and they eventually got into a custody battle over their children.

How Did Kelly Rutherford's Children End up Living with Their Father?

In 2012, Kelly's children had to go live with their father in France and Monaco due to a custody battle with Daniel. Two years later, he got full custody of them through the courts. The star got to see her children on rare occasions when they came to vacation in New York.

In 2014, a Los Angeles court claimed it had no jurisdiction over Kelly and the German citizen's custody lawsuit; a New York court also made the same claim. The actress had to take some time to figure out what to do after alleging:

"[The children] exhibited anxiety at the imminent prospect of leaving her side to return to their father in Monaco."

Instead, she refused to follow the agreement from a Monaco court that demanded she return the children to Daniel after having them under her custody for a five-week summer vacation. She was called a child abductor.

The actress stated how beautiful it was to see the two children becoming their own people, and they shared that with her.

The former couple's initial 33-month-long custody trial began in late 2009 but gradually became six years, with the pair initially asking for joint legal custody. Kelly's ex-husband eventually got residential custody because his visa was revoked, and he couldn't re-enter the United States.

Caroline Lagerfelt, a former colleague and a friend of Kelly's, shared that when the actress is with her children, they "cling to her" in her small apartment. Caroline said the children "just putter about with Mom" while she keeps a simple and comfortable routine. Since the drama with Daniel, Kelly has kept her children under a low profile.

What Kind of Relationship Does Kelly Rutherford Have with Her Children?

Kelly rarely talks about her children since her custody battle with Daniel, but once in a while, she gives a brief look into the bond she has with them. In May 2019, Kelly revealed she was doing "great" and now often saw her children and they are "wonderful," adding:

"They're just growing so fast."

The actress stated how beautiful it was to see the two children becoming their own people, and they shared that with her. Kelly said her children are open with her and bonding together as a trio. In 2020, the star uploaded rare Instagram images of her offspring for Mother's Day.

The pictures showed them posing for photographs on different occasions. They were seen posing with a cake, outside on their phones, riding bikes, going out for beverages, hugging, sharing kisses, and more.