Jaime King details ‘scary’ reality after ex-husband was granted full custody of their sons: ‘It’s terrifying’

Jaime King has opened up about losing custody of her two children, saying she finds the child custody system to be “terrifying.”

King shared her “scary” reality after her ex-husband Kyle Newman was granted full physical custody of their sons James, 11, and Leo, 9, during an appearance on the “Whine Down with Jana Kramer” podcast.

“My duty as a mother is to protect my children. And that’s all that matters to me. This is scary,” the “Hart of Dixie” star said.

Kramer was previously embroiled in a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband Mike Caussin over their two children.

The pair opened up about their respective experiences as King admitted she was unaware of how the world works when she tied the knot too young.

“I just didn’t know when I got married at a young age,” she said. “I just didn’t know that the world works like this. I didn’t know that legal systems work like this.”

“And not to sound like some kind of neophyte, but I thought that, you know, when you choose to love someone, then you love that person. You build a family with them, and, you trust them,” King added.

Kramer, 41, agreed with the “White Chicks” actress on the pitfalls of the legal system.

“I’ve been in abusive relationships in the past and, you know, even from the comments to the system, it’s very messed up, and what they do to women and how they can turn it on us is mind-blowing,” the “One Tree Hill” alum added.

King also alleged that her ex-husband misrepresented the early days of their relationship in court in a desperate bid to be granted custody.

“It’s terrifying, when to be able to be free means that you have to pay a very extreme price, and I’m not just talking about financially,” she said.

“It’s very upsetting, and I will do everything in my power to change this system, and it’s not a will. I’m going to. There’s no price to pay for freedom.”

A judge ruled that King and Newman, 49, will share legal custody of their two children, but the filmmaker will have sole physical custody.

King was given visitation rights, but she would have to be supervised and could only see the boys three times a week. In addition to supervised visits, King had been ordered to finish six months of rehab for drugs and alcohol. 

Her custody agreement was dramatically amended after she failed to complete a six-month drug and alcohol program that consisted of weekly testing, a 26-week parenting program and both individual and conjoint counseling with her children.

“I’ve never had to think about myself as sober or not sober. I stopped using drugs at 17 or something,” King said.

In October 2024, Newman filed for sole custody of the kids after claiming he found his ex-wife “strung out” and “drunk” while watching their sons.

The exes were locked in a lengthy legal battle over finances and custody when King filed for divorce in 2020 after 13 years of marriage. They finally settled their divorce in 2023.

Last month, King broke her silence after being forced out of her Los Angeles pad for owing more than $42,000 in back rent.

If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).