Hollywood star Christina Ricci has experienced quite the positive career resurgence as of late, thanks in part to the critical acclaim and popularity earned by her Showtime thriller Yellowjackets. Things haven’t been quite as celebratory in certain sections of her private life, however, as she’s been in the midst of a difficult split from her ex-husband James Heerdegen that has been ongoing for nearly two years. Now, however, Ricci and Heerdegen may finally be on the way to an official conclusion, and it involves the same judge that handled Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s high-profile divorce and its many financial agreements.
Ricci reportedly still has a restraining order placed against James Heerdegen, as she’d accused him of various instances of domestic abuse when initially filing for divorce. (He has denied such allegations, claiming her to be the abuser.) But the bad blood may soon be drying up now, as Radar reports the pair informed the L.A. court that they chose to go the private route by hiring former Los Angeles Superior Court judge Scott Gordon.
The well-established legal figure entering the equation is as good a sign as any that Ricci and Heerdegen aim to put their personal issues aside in order to work toward a faster resolution. The new court documents reportedly disclosed the respective actress and producer hammered out details regarding childcare and custody related to Christina Ricci’s busy work schedule.
It’s stated that James Heerdegen agreed for their son Frederick to travel with her to a production shoot in the U.K. from March through April, which followed a filming shoot in Romania, which itself followed another project being shot in California in January and February. What’s more, Ricci also agreed to foot the costs for Heerdegen’s legal fees, which come out to around $10,000.
Considering how long Christina Ricci and James Heerdegen have been handling this legal battle — she has already since remarried and had a child with new hubby, hair stylist Mark Hampton — it’s safe to assume that bringing Scott Gordon in as a hire was a major step in the right direction. Even if some of the extenuating circumstances regarding their divorce remain unresolved, it’s likely that everyone involved would prefer to put it all to bed as opposed to keeping things contentious ad infinitum.
Scott Gordon has a history of handling cases involving Hollywood entertainers, having presided over custody cases for Mel Gibson and Britney Spears in the years before he retired from the L.A. Superior Court. His work with Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s divorce was a headline-maker, since the Grammy-winning talk show host and her ex were tangled up over property ownership and rent issues for months ahead of their settlement.
When TV viewers see Christina Ricci on TV again, they will be looking at a woman who thankfully isn’t dealing with divorce mess anymore. (Assuming nothing else comes up in the interim.) But will that come in the form of Yellowjackets Season 2 on Showtime, or via her return to the world of the Addams Family with Tim Burton’s upcoming Netflix dramedy Wednesday?
