Derek Richard Thomas is pushing back against Rumer Willis' allegations, denying drug abuse claims and accusing the actress of interfering with his relationship with their 3-year-old daughter, Louetta.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleBruce Willis' daughter Rumer Willis has been caught up in a bitter custody battle with her ex-partner Derek Richard Thomas. Willis has claimed in a new court filing that Thomas’ alleged drug problems are interfering with co-parenting their 3-year-old daughter Louetta. The filing comes amid the former couple’s legal battle over Louetta, whom they welcomed together in April 2023 prior to their split in 2024.
In a declaration filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 27, 2026, Thomas claimed Rumer Willis had "done everything in her power to interfere, block and frustrate my relationship with Louetta." He also responded to Rumer's previous marijuana use allegations against him.
Willis had previously claimed in court documents that Thomas was so high on marijuana that he could not safely watch Louetta for even a short period. The latter, however, has strongly denied those accusations. In his August 27 declaration obtained by PEOPLE, the musician reportedly stated:
"I reject completely and without reservation Respondent’s claims concerning my alleged abuse of drugs, any conduct on my part that endangers Louetta, and any failure at efforts to cooperate with her and to co-parent Louetta."
Thomas also disputed his ex's allegations that he has been difficult to work with as a co-parent, arguing it was Willis who made his court-approved parenting time difficult. For context, Willis was awarded primary custody of Louetta with a custody order on June 9, 2026, and Thomas was awarded visitation every other weekend. Initially, the arrangement mandated that the first six weeks of his visits would be monitored before he could be allowed overnight visits.
However, Thomas now claims that the transition has not gone as planned. He alleged that Willis had made "excuse after excuse" that prevented him from moving forward with the visitation schedule outlined in the court order. He went as far as to say that Willis "blocked" him from having a father-daughter relationship with the 3-year-old.
Thomas claimed that the monitors assigned to supervise his parenting time were selected by Willis and alleged that disputes over those arrangements repeatedly disrupted his ability to spend time with his daughter.
The musician also alleged that Willis has been treating the supervision arrangements as a bargaining tool. He wrote in his new filing that Willis offered to remove supervision from the remainder of his visits if Thomas agreed to allow someone she selected to accompany Louetta at his upcoming October wedding to Lizzie Loch. He allegedly wrote:
"Having her have someone at the wedding is more important for me than that."
The situation allegedly escalated during a July 2026 visitation. Thomas claimed he objected to the presence of a particular monitor at his home and said the monitor agreed to remain outside with Louetta while they waited for a replacement to arrive. But before the new monitor could show up, the "respondent" (Rumer Willis) arrived at his home with police officers, taking Louetta away within roughly 40 minutes into the visitation. His declaration reads:
"Respondent took Louetta from my care roughly forty minutes into my visitation time, with police present, and without any reason connected to Louetta‘s safety or well-being. I did not physically resist or argue with Respondent in front of Louetta. I let her go because Respondent had already brought police to the visit, and I did not want to escalate the scene further in front of my daughter.
Thomas stated Louetta was "visibly upset to be separated from me at that moment and did not want to leave." With that in mind, he now is asking the court to continue the June custody order and allow the previously established parenting plan to go forward.
Rumer Willis and Derek Richard Thomas split in 2024, but neither of them disclosed what specifically caused their breakup. The former couple had once shared a close connection through their growing family and music. However, their relationship eventually ended. Now a single mother, Willis has accused Thomas of emotional abuse and coercive control, while the latter has denied those claims.
What do you think about Derek Richard Thomas' new claims about his co-parenting fallout with Rumer Willis?
Read Next: Ronn Owens Warned About Daughter Laura Owens Years Before Pregnancy Scandal, Witness Recalls Warning