Actress Kelly Rutherford has been waging a custody battle against ex-husband Daniel Giersch for over two years now, but today, the former Gossip Girl star was dealt a crushing blow that may put an end to her campaign to have her two children returned to the US.
TMZ is reporting that the judge in Kelly’s case has granted Giersch full custody of 9-year-old Hermes and 6-year-old Helena.
While Giersch will be legally obligated to consult Rutherford on major decisions such as where the children will attend school, Kelly’s interactions with the kids will be limited to visits that must take place in either France or Monaco.
It’s an unexpectedly devastating outcome for Rutherford, whose lawyers stated that they expected their client to at least retain partial custody.
The harsh ruling may have something to do with the fact that Rutherford refused to turn her kids over to Giersch after they visited her in Los Angeles last summer.
Rutherford was accused of abducting her son and daughter, and she eventually turned them over out of fear of legal repercussions.
Kelly will likely appeal the decision, but at this point, it’s unlikely that any judge will find in her favor.
For now at least, she may want to start stockpiling frequent flier miles.