Rumer Willis, Derek Richard Thomas locked in bitter custody battle over daughter

Rumer Willis has accused her ex-partner Derek Richard Thomas of what she describes as “insane emotional abuse” in a heated custody battle over their three-year-old daughter, Louetta.

The 37-year-old actress, known for The House Bunny, has filed court documents opposing Thomas’s request for a custody order, alleging a “persistent pattern” of controlling and distressing behaviour since their split in August 2024 after two years together.

According to reports cited by People magazine, Willis claims the alleged behaviour often took place in front of their child or while the pair were “trapped in the car”, leaving her feeling intimidated and exhausted by what she describes as hours-long verbal tirades.

In her declaration, she alleges Thomas engaged in “coercive control” and “circular verbal attacks” lasting up to six hours at a time, saying the situation escalated after their daughter was born. 

She also claims he tried to isolate her from friends and family, repeatedly called her a liar, and accused her of being a “bad girlfriend”.

Willis further alleges that Thomas showed paranoid behaviour and believed she and her mother, Demi Moore, were plotting against him. 

She is now seeking primary custody and requesting a formal evaluation before any unsupervised overnight contact, claiming their daughter has been left “traumatised” and “crying a lot”.

Thomas has strongly denied the allegations, stating there was no domestic violence or coercive control, though he admitted the relationship was “unhealthy”. 

He insists their split was mutual and says he has always acted appropriately as a father.

He also rejected claims of drug-related issues and neglect, arguing that their daughter has “never suffered” in his care.

The dispute has also drawn in Willis’s mother, with Bruce Willis’s family situation referenced in filings, as tensions between the former couple continue to escalate in court.

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