When Jesse Williams filed for divorce from his wife Aryn Drake-Lee back in April, the rumors about Minka Kelly started within a matter of hours. To be fair, the urban blogs had been keeping an eye on Minka and Jesse’s relationship for months, basically ever since Jesse and Minka met. TMZ reported that Minka was one of the factors in Jesse and Aryn’s divorce, and that Jesse and Minka were already spending time together as a couple back then, in April. Page Six followed up in May, with sources – sources who sounded like they were on Aryn’s side – claiming that Minka and Jesse started seeing each other/having an affair last year. Then last week, People Magazine got involved when their sources claimed that Minka and Jesse are officially dating now. So… do you believe this new Page Six story?
“Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams and Minka Kelly have been coupling up since he filed for divorce from Aryn Drake-Lee, but sources don’t expect the pair to last.
“They’re just getting to know each other. I don’t think it’s that serious, and it probably won’t last,” a source close to Williams told us. “He’s been so busy working and trying to figure [out the divorce].”
We hear he’s devastated that Drake-Lee’s restricted his visitation of their kids, as reflected in documents he filed seeking custody.
“He hasn’t been able to read his kids to bed because he can’t keep them overnight,” says the pal. “It’s been the most frustrating thing . . . The end of his marriage really is devastating.”
Drake-Lee plans to file a formal response in court.
I just feel like… the jig is up. Would it really be so much worse for him if he simply came out and said – months ago – that he fell out of love with his wife and he started having an affair and it’s a huge mess, he feels like an a–hole but there it is? Like, there would still be outrage but at least we wouldn’t have this stupid PR around what is a fairly mundane and cliche story about a dude screwing around on his long-time wife/partner with some hot costar. “They’re just getting to know each other…” Really? According to sources close to Aryn, he’s been banging Minka for months. I’m sure he knows Minka by now.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
if it wasn’t that serious why did he file for divorce? the story is simple no matter how he tries to spin it. Suddenly the guy looses his “mr cool clean cut” shine and he can’t stand it.
Maybe he filed for divorce because the fling helped him realise how empty his marriage was? It happens
Yup. So “empty” that he’d just had a baby within that relationship less than two years before? Bet the wife had no idea how “empty” their relationship was.
Stop excusing cheaters.
You don’t just realize and file divorce. You go thru the grinder and wonder if you stay or you try to save your marriage by working the issues. He did have a “fling” so-called “not that serious” and played poker. If it’s not that serious you keep away from adding more drama while filing for divorce. There is a time to cool off and regroup.. After leaving my long relationship my bf the last thing I wanted was to be in another relationship even if it wasn’t serious. One of my friend got divorce few weeks later he wanted an “open relationship” even though dude has children he barely sees and there was still so much to work out so they don’t get too traumatized. His ex asked him if he wanted to stay and not leave right away so their kids can be comfortable with the divorce but he flat out refused. He got an apartment then started hitting every women he could. This is the same dude who didn’t want a divorce, who kept screaming he “will be lost without you” disc and “I know I am not helping with the kids the way I should but I will changed”. Nada
@Anon33 – LOL
People do have children to bandage broken relationships though. She may have thought it would bind her partner and in the end it just forestalled the inevitable. If she is blocking custody this would explain it. She had the kids to keep him and now uses them to hurt him.
Maybe he was unhappy in his marriage and felt free to bang whoever but it wasn’t his intention to leave his wife for Minka. That’s sort of what I’m getting from him. He wasn’t happy he checked out of the marriage then decided to bang whoever was around and Minka was willing but he doesn’t seem to want to claim her as the next big thing in his life.
The racial dynamics and the whole faux ‘wokeness’ is the poison pill that’s blowing this rather mundane story to another level.
Or maybe, he finally had some success as an actor with the accompanying money and fame, was no longer financially dependent on his wife, and decided to trade up (in his mind) to younger/whiter and/or just enjoy going out and scr*wing around. He would not be the first “star” to pull that little trick.
@ELX your story sounds more plausible. I do recall him saying that Aryn supported him during the lean years. Way to go JW.
It’s clear this man started believing his own hype and got caught up. He didn’t expect people to turn on him since he was everybody’s “WokeBae”. But alas… here we are with him backpedaling for his life.
I will never get over the don’t believe the hype jacket, lol. It’s too bad he’s not that famous honestly because if he was that would be an iconic moment in celeb history.
I always thought we were giving him too many cookies for behavior we should expect.
And I really don’t get her — it seems men fall all over themselves for this chick but I don’t see it.
He’s a POS
Regardless of whether he had a fling or went full out Brad and Angelina, the wife has no business restricting access to the kids. It’s the summer holidays, he lives nearby, let them sleep at their dad’s house sometimes. I will never stand with someone who weaponises children just because you were cheated on and dumped.
As far as I’ve read, he’s not completely restricted and does have the children visit. I wouldn’t want my children on an overnight visitation with someone I don’t know well (even with my ex there).
Perhaps in time Aryn would feel more comfortable with overnights with Minka present? But since Jesse’s team is putting it out there that he and Minka are not that serious, that probably won’t happen.
The children are 2 and 3 years old. She has probably been the primary parent throughout their lives. We do not know anything about their dynamics in their relationship as parents. Seems like a way in which he can get sympathy.
The wifes comfort is irrelevant to equal custody. She can spend her night tossing at the thought of “that” woman touching her child all she likes. The only thing that matters is the childrens comfort. If they are toddlers, I’m sure the court will find they are ready to spend nights with him. The court will also be amenable to a learning curve even if he wasnt their primary parent. He can probably have his mother stay over the first few nights as he adjusts.
As a black woman, too many of our babies have unwilling fathers. We have the highest rate of single mothers and while most of these women are heroes, the fact is that the absence of fathers it has hurt the community. Willing fathers must be enabled not blocked. I dont think three hours a day is anywhere near close to what an engaged father needs. ESpecially with toddlers.
I would oppose my kids spending time with/around my ex’s new piece, while the new piece knew the ex was married when they started a relationship. Period.
He can complain all he wants he can’t read nighttime stories to his kids. He should have used his brain, not his d11k.
From his documents he has them 3 hours every day, but he says he gets no overnight visits. Maybe there is a reason for that? I know I would love nights to myself without a small person underfoot, much less 2.
Pumpkin what you just described is child abuse. You can’t punish a man for rejecting you by limiting his time with his children. That’s parental alienation and it takes a truly selfish human to do that their own children.
OriginallyBlue There are very few reasons a court in CA would accept for refusing him over nighters. Even with breastfed babies, the court is known to instruct the mother to pump milk to allow the father equal time. The only way they won’t rule in his favor is if he is considered a threat to their safety. He will get his sleepovers, the only difference will be the kids will one day Google and discover that their mother had to be forced to share.
Nyawira, that’s not what Pumpkin said at all. It’s not punishing the ex to say the kids can’t be around their new piece. It’s up to the parent to make time for their kids without the new boyfriend/girlfriend. Divorced couples usually have an agreement that we talk to our ex before we introduce a new partner. It’s called respecting the other parent.
So I assume you’re not OK with him either since after not showing his children on social media all along, he’s been suddenly OK with plastering their faces all over his Instagram page since the separation? Oh I’m sure that’s just coincidence though and not a scam to try and get sympathy.
She hasn’t responded publicly to his allegations about visitation and frankly given that he’s a proven liar, I don’t believe his account of this. We will see.
@Mia4s – Good points.
The only reason we know about his claim is because TMZ got hold of his court filings. He has made no statement on the kids. You didnt say otherwise but that needed to made clear.
As for instagram, if he is getting three hours a day and only that, I can see why they are on his mind more now. As for her responding, this lady has been leaking all over the place for a month. It was her “sources” who broke the divorce story. We even got an update on how she felt. She is clearly a very shrewd woman with the phone nimber to atleast two major tabloids. If she had a disputing tale to tell she would tell it. And sooner or later she has to respind to his court filings. Lets see if she quickly cedes or if she resists.
I dont condone cheating but theres a big difference between your husband leaving you and a father leaving his children. Women need to learn this. Before you head into that Delivery Room, you better be prepared to not see your child half the time, if you break up with his father. Seriously. Obstreticians need to print this out and pin it up in their waiting rooms.
@Mia4s 😎,👌👏
Speaking of social media as a tool, Jesse has been sure to leave up comments on his Insta, referring to black women as ‘salty’, and other disses. Such a faker.
Enjoy the T list with Minka, Jesse. You were never much of an actor.😃
They’re really little though. They might freak if they’re not at home in their own beds, with their mom right there.
So do blogs that cover primarily/exclusively black celebrities self-identify as “urban blogs” or did that description just come up independently of them? If it’s the latter, that’s not great, Bob. But I am genuinely curious.
According to many blind items he prefers men. And instead of coming out he chose to be seen as a cheater rather than to reveal his true sexual orientation. I am sad for them all.
For me, he is still canceled.
As stupidly as he handled the breakup, and even if he was a cheater, if she’s restricting access to the kids, that’s not right. It’s just punishing the children more than anything else. I can understand being bitter about doing the lion’s share of the child rising and getting the shit end of the divorce, but you really just can’t let that drive your actions when children are involved.
I used to really like him. I found him refreshing and more down to earth than most actors, but eventually Hollywood gets to them all
He must not have been very happy being married to his wife if he could cheat with a woman who it won’t last long with. No matter how unhappy he was, this pig should’ve split with his wife before starting a new relationship
RE: restricting access, from what I’ve read, the issue is he wants the toddlers to stay with him overnight. She isn’t saying – nor is the the court – that he can’t see the kids at all. But two children, with the oldest being 3, shouldn’t be shuffled between houses but rather should have a routine set by the primary caregiver.
I see trying to paint her as wrong/selfish(!)/cruel as another way to brush aside his choice to leave the marriage and blame the consequences on her. He can still see his kids. The issue is shuffling toddlers between homes overnight, which would be disruptive to their routine (especially with the absence of their primary caregiver) and likely very confusing for them.
I think it’s a sad situation all around but the one thing I don’t see is Jesse Williams as victim in it.
This!!! Thank you! I do not understand everyone is taking his side with this.
From my experience, men who leave a marriage due to an affair continue the pattern of lying even after they’ve left (I’m watching a friend deal with this right now, and it’s heartbreaking) – it’s almost like, having fallen into the habit of lying to cover the affair, they continue to distort reality.
Toddlers need routine. And bedtime stories are a super, super small part of the bedtime routine, yet he mentions the fun activity? Newsflash: You can read to kids at any time during the day. In fact, it’s sometimes more fun to read to kids when they aren’t super sleepy and/or grouchy.
Minka the minx.
I actually think they may last longer than some may think. Or at least as long as Angelina Brad. Who knows.? Both relationships have a lot of similarities. Met on set, romance probably started back then, little trips together disguised as work, male was currently married then filed for divorce. Hmm…
Don’t put it on Minka … she isn’t a “minx”
Jesse stepped outside his marriage. He made the choice. If it wasn’t her it would have been some other hot white woman. I bet he cheated on her constantly. He just has that lecherous look.
This is not the first time Minka has slept with a married man so its nothing new for her. She didn’t last with any of them so idk why she would last with Jesse. She’s the perpetual sidechick lol
Re: Jesse being upset about not being able to keep the kids overnight and read them to bed.
Why don’t parents understand beforehand that going through a divorce, things will change. You’re not going to have the same routine as before because you are no longer a unit living under the same roof (in most cases). You’re not going to get to see your kids as much as you did when you were married. It doesn’t work that way, which is why a lot of the time with the divorce it’s the kud(s) who may suffer the most (unless someone is divorcing an abuser, alcoholic etc…)
You wont see your children as often and this burden is to be shared between both parents. Where possible, both should cede some of the routine. It’s indefensible for one parent to unilaterally decide to only cede three hours a day. With toddlers they can easily engage a child psychologist to guide how to establish a two home routine. There’s no reason one parent should have a monopoly on 21 hours of the day. None.
It’s not 21 hours – factor in sleeping, and it’s considerably less. There’s also the quality of the time, and the fact that he’s about to return to filming a one-hour drama, which are known to be absolute time sucks. Not only that but three hours a day is more than some of my friends saw their own kids at that age due to work – and they were married.
We don’t know all of the details, and I don’t think it’s fair to assume Aryn is making unilateral decisions based on one anonymous comment to a gossip site.
He looks like Russell from Survivor in these pics.
“They’re just getting to know each other. I don’t think it’s that serious, and it probably won’t last,”
Obviously trying to de-emphasise the relationship. I agree he should have just been upfront about it.
You can be a terrible husband and a perfectly good parent. If his wife has a reason to think he can’t care for the kids for extended periods (i.e. overnight) alone, she can present that to the court. But otherwise they should spend nights both places. A toddler’s routine isn’t rocket science- three meals, two snacks, bath, books, and bed. If he wants to do those things with them, he should absolutely have the opportunity. His ex can go after him for money, and good for her if she supported him before he made it big. But leave the gatekeeper parenting out of it.