Rumer Willis received a big victory in her and ex Derek Richard Thomas‘ ongoing custody battle over their three-year-old daughter Louetta.
A judge awarded Willis, 37, primary custody of Louetta “Lou” on Tuesday, June 9, according to court documents obtained by Us weekly. (TMZ was the first to announce the news.)
The ruling also states that Willis and Thomas were granted joint custody of the toddler after agreeing to a custody review.
The judge also set a visitation schedule for Thomas that will see him receive parental leave every other weekend in Los Angeles beginning June 20, followed by a second weekend in Idaho, alternating from that point forward.
Just days after Rumer Willis opened up about her “brutal” decision to end her relationship with her baby’s father, musician Derek Richard Thomas, Us Weekly can reveal new behind-the-scenes details of their split. Willis and Thomas began dating in 2022 and welcomed daughter Louetta the following year. By 2024, Willis confirmed that the couple had left (…)
Under the decision, Thomas’ visits will initially be supervised by one of Willis’ nannies. The child’s father will switch to nighttime visitation without a monitor on August 22nd from Saturday 10 a.m. to Sunday 6 p.m
Additionally, the judge ordered Willis and Thomas to attend co-parenting counseling and communicate via a co-parenting app.
Us weekly has reached out to representatives for Willis and Thomas for comment.
Willis and Thomas gave birth to daughter Lou in April 2023. A year later, the couple separated after being together for two years.
In July 2025, Thomas took legal action to establish a parental relationship, and the battle over custody of his and Willis’ daughter quickly turned sour.
Rumer Willis and Derek Richard Thomas.
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for ESPRITUs confirmed that Thomas had requested joint legal and physical custody of Lou and child visitation after Willis moved their daughter to Idaho in 2024, which he said was only temporary.
While Willis attempted to have the case transferred to an Idaho court, claiming it was Lou’s home state, her petition was dismissed in January. At that time, the court ruled that California was the proper venue.
Willis claimed in her August 2025 petition that she offered to pay Thomas “many times” to visit her daughter in Idaho, but he allegedly declined.
“Every time he sees Louetta, it is because I support the trip to California. I also facilitate regular FaceTime between Loretta and her father for at least 30 minutes,” she claimed in the documents she obtained Us.
Rumer Willis’ ex, Derek Richard Thomas, has accused her of exploiting their three-year-old daughter Louetta. In court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Thomas denied the abuse allegations Willis made in a recent statement challenging his custody decision. He further claimed that Willis, 37, exploited Louetta when her daughter showed up (…)
In a separate set of court documents, Willis claimed that her relationship with Thomas ended because of his “incessant domestic violence in the form of coercive control and his incessant argumentative behavior in front of their daughter.”
She claimed: “He could not control himself, even when his one-year-old child was crying and was clearly traumatized by his behavior. The emotional abuse in front of her child and (his) drug use are the main reasons why (Rumer) does not want (him) to have sleepovers or time with Louetta without a 730 child custody assessment.”
Thomas responded to the allegations in January, claiming in his own filing, “I have not committed any form of domestic violence, including active ‘coercive control.'” (Our) relationship was unhealthy and ended appropriately, but it was not at all characterized by violence, physical or emotional attacks or intimidation on my part.”
Thomas’ lawyer Michael J. Kretzmer told Us in a statement last month: “First, Miss Willis’ presentation of facts and circumstances is, to put it kindly, materially inaccurate and riddled with false allegations. This matter will be heard in Los Angeles Superior Court. Mr. Thomas will not argue this case in front of the press.”
Denise Richards has scored another victory in her legal battle with her ex Aaron Phypers amid their ongoing divorce. Richards, 55, and attorney Mark Gross appeared at a hearing in Los Angeles County Court on Monday, April 27, where they discussed her request to seal sensitive documents related to her finances, according to obtained court documents.
The statement continued: “The facts and circumstances do not correspond in the least to those described by Miss Willis. Derek Thomas is an excellent father who wants nothing more than to be a fully responsible, committed, caring and devoted father to his child. We are confident that we will see clearly in court what happened during the course of the relationship between Miss Willis and Mr. Thomas.”
earlier this month Us confirmed that Thomas had filed documents alleging that Willis exploited Lou when their daughter appeared in a commercial against his wishes.
“The defendant’s coordinated media strategy and its harm to Louetta raise serious concerns,” Thomas’ statement said. “On February 22, 2026, I sent defendant a written objection to Louetta’s appearance in paid commercial advertising, citing a particular advertisement that contained adult sexual humor that was out of context for a two-year-old.”
He claimed Willis didn’t respond to his objection message and didn’t text him again until two days later. (Us I previously reached out to Willis’ representative for comment.)
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance.
