Kelly Rutherford Suffers Setback: Fights For Children

Kelly Rutherford’s court battle is one of the most bizarre in history. Here’s the story in a nutshell. After a bitter divorce, Rutherford allegedly exposed information about her husband’s “businesses” that got him deported. Because her husband was then barred from visiting the United States, the court ordered her kids to live in France with their father. They reasoned that it was better for the children to stay put and have Kelly travel than the other way around, and if the kids lived in the United States, they’d have to constantly visit France to see their father. The result? Kelly constantly visits France, has exhausted her finances to fight for custody, and continues to publicly expose this story in a plea for help.

The story confounds me on multiple levels. First, how does an American court effectively deport its citizens? The obvious response is that it’s not a deportation given that their citizenship remains intact, but it sure smells like it. Second, even if you buy that it’s okay to send our citizens abroad, it still seems to be in a child’s best interest to stay with their mother in the United States and visit their father during the summer and spring break. Third, why isn’t the public more outraged? My only guess as to why this story remains too quiet for comfort is that Rutherford is unlikable. She unfortunately contributed to the situation she now fights against, given the alleged exposure that led to her ex’s deportation. I realize that if a man gets deported, there are issues afloat that could implicate whether he’s a fit parent, but nonetheless — it’s relevant. Also, the custody battle has been juvenile and bitter from the beginning. Rutherford allegedly did not inform her ex about the birth of their second child, and she refused to add his name to the birth certificate.

Though I’d like to believe she’s sincere and firmly believe she’s been wronged, the story is complicated, multi-layered, and odd. Watch below to see Rutherford explain her nightmare.


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