Jesse Williams Wants to Reduce His Child Support Payments After 'Grey's Anatomy Exit

Jesse Williams child custody payments Aryn Drake-Lee grey's anatomy Jesse Williams kids child custody Dr. Jackson Avery co-parent high conflict parents Take Me Out Broadway

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Mar 31, 01:24 am

Photo: (Photo : Francois Durand/Getty Images)

Jesse Williams has filed for a modification of his child support payments to ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee, with whom he has two children, 8-year-old Sadie and 6-year-old Marco. The former "Grey's Anatomy" star told the court that his income has fluctuated since he left the popular series.

E! News obtained a copy of the court documents where Williams declared that his time in "Grey's Anatomy," where he worked steadily for most of his married life, was his primary source of income. However, he made his final appearance on the show in May 2021, just months after his divorce from Drake-Lee was finalized.

The actor also told the court that Drake-Lee received $50,629 in monthly child support payments following the court's order in June 2018 when he separated from his then-wife. He cited that the amount was based on his work on the TV show and his residual income from his other acting jobs.

But since leaving the series, Williams said that his source of income is currently "far less than my former episodic fees" from the popular series. Thus, the previous basis for payments given to Drake-Lee no longer aligns with his current situation.

Jesse Williams and Ex-Wife Advised to "Fine-Tune" Custody Arrangement

Williams was in a relationship with Drake-Lee while still a struggling actor in New York. In 2009, he landed the job of a lifetime as Dr. Jackson Avery on "Grey's Anatomy" and moved to California with his partner.

In 2012, the couple got married and started a life together as parents as his career was picking up. However, after the birth of their son, the couple's split was imminent, and they soon ensued into a bitter custody battle, per Us Weekly.

According to Williams, his ex-wife would limit his children's time with him. She eventually filed for sole custody of Sadie and Marco, but Williams fought her in court for at least three years.

The judge on their custody case advised the couple to fine-tune their custody agreement with a third-party counselor until they agreed to share legal and physical custody. Williams and Drake-Lee were also ordered by the court to join a program for "high conflict parents" so they could co-parent better after a divorce and get along for the sake of their children.

The court has not yet decided on Williams's request for a reduced child support payment. He believes that his ex-wife should also return to work. Before moving to California, Drake-Lee was a real estate agent.

Meanwhile, Drake-Lee said that her ex-husband should have never given up his job on "Grey's Anatomy."

Why Jesse Williams Left the Show

In an interview with The New York Times, Williams stated that he decided to quit "Grey's Anatomy" after 12 seasons because he needed to step out of his comfort zone and find other projects that would challenge him. The actor is currently starring in "Take Me Out," a Broadway show that will pay him less than $2,000 a week until his contract in June 2022. Williams will play a baseball professional who comes out of the closet in his new role.

Williams acknowledged that his time on "Grey's Anatomy" made him "obscenely lucky," but he knew he had to leave the series. His exit from the show also coincided with the expiration of his contract with "Grey's Anatomy."