May 29, 2026, 4:27 p.m. ET
Rumer Willis is entangled in a tense legal battle with ex Derek Richard Thomas regarding custody of their 3-year-old daughter, Louetta.
In July, Thomas, 30, filed a petition to establish parental relationship with the actress, 37, in Los Angeles, and requested joint legal and physical custody of Louetta, along with an order for visitation, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Willis submitted multiple responsive declarations since the beginning of the year, alleging in a Jan. 21 filing that Thomas “engaged in a persistent pattern of emotional abuse” during their two-year relationship, “often in front of the minor child or while they were trapped in the car with him.”
She alleged that his “ongoing coercive control through prolonged circular verbal attacks that he is unable or unwilling to stop” left Louetta “visibly traumatized,” resulting in “crying a lot, nervousness, and an inability to nap or sleep well.”
Willis and Thomas went to mediation in August, where they reached a temporary custodial agreement
The documents reveal that the arrangement allowed Thomas to have time with Louetta six to seven hours a day in either L.A. or Sun Valley, where Willis and Louetta were living. Willis also agreed to facilitate communication and visits between the singer and their daughter.
In her January response, Willis said that Thomas “has not availed himself of the essentially unlimited custodial time with his daughter in Sun Valley. He has instead made all visits about himself and his needs along with constant combative aggression that seeks only to create and then stay in a problem instead of seeking an easy and readily available solution.”
Willis also alleged that Thomas “causes high stress and chaos” around their custodial plans and exchanges when she is in L.A., knowing her visits are typically to see her father, Bruce Willis, who has frontotemporal dementia.
“(Thomas) has made it clear that this is of no importance to him,” she said in her filing, adding that he is “often foregoing his time with Louetta over agreeing to very basic requests like keeping Louetta on her nap routine or allowing the nanny to come on the visits.”
She asked for their temporary agreement to be made permanent with modifications to limit the time to three to four days per week and “with restrictions of driving the child, monitored by the nanny at no cost to him, and no girlfriend present due to his known history of fighting in relationships and in front of the child.”
In addition, Willis requested the court to order Thomas to undergo a “730 child custody evaluation,” which is a mental health assessment, alleging he showed a “lack of ability to responsibly care for a young child by putting her needs before his own.” Willis also alleged that Thomas has a “history of unstable and abusive behavior when in relationships,” citing “his horrible abusive and hostile behavior” while they were together.
Willis, who is sober from drugs and alcohol, further alleged that the singer was “a chronic daily drug user.” She said that while she doesn’t have knowledge of his habits after their 2024 split, his “behavior and personality is one that is commonly seen by drug users such as emotionally abusive, unreasonable, constant arguing, illogical resentments, hostility, immaturity, impulsiveness, lack of any ambition, unemployable, and an inability to even think of other’s needs before their own.”
In a separate filing, Thomas denied allegations of drug abuse, calling them “false.”
Demi Moore told the court that she has seen Thomas be ‘aggressive’ and ‘unstable’
Willis’ mom, Demi Moore, wrote a five-page declaration about her experiences with Thomas as part of the January filing, in which she alleged that he has exhibited “very odd” behavior since she first met him in June 2022. “The Substance” star, 63, said that Willis was “under a constant state of stress” during her pregnancy because of the relationship, and Thomas “always put himself and his needs first.”
“Derek constantly sucks the joy out of all encounters with him,” Moore said. “He wants to put Rumer at odds with our family, and creates unnecessary stress and fear for Rumer to this day.”
When Willis had her home birth, Moore claimed that Thomas “essentially ruined what should have been one of the happiest moments of her life” by “acting angry and pouting and making it all about him” after he “got into the birthing tub in an aggressive and sudden manner” and Willis asked him to get out.
When Louetta was a newborn, Moore alleged that Thomas “was arguing” with Willis about wanting to smoke marijuana around the baby.
“Rumer, my other daughters and I became concerned that he was unstable,” Moore wrote. “Rumer told me that Derek was creating fights all the time and causing her extreme stress. She told me he would not let her sleep at night as he wanted to continue arguing into the night.”
Thomas maintained his competence as a parent and denied Willis’ accusations
In documents following Willis’ January response, Thomas said, “I have committed no acts of domestic violence in any form, including any active ‘coercive control.’” He stated that his relationship with Willis “was unhealthy” but “was not at all characterized by any violence, physical or emotional attacks or intimidation on my part.”
Thomas said he and Willis both “have an excellent, loving and very supportive relationship with our daughter,” and claimed he is “a very consistently involved father.”
“There has never been any legitimate question raised concerning my parenting or ability to meet Louetta’s every need,” he said. “Louetta has never suffered for any want in my care, has never been injured in any way, has not suffered trauma or emotional or physical abuse of any kind nor been neglected at any time she’s been in my care. (Willis) fails to detail, even a single credible instance of any mistreatment or neglect by me.”
