"I didn't know that legal systems work like this" - Jaime King addresses losing sole physical custody of her sons

For the first time since her ex-husband was given complete custody of her two sons, actress Jaime King recently opened up about the same. In an interview with Jana Kramer on the Whine Down podcast on April 10, King stated that her responsibility as a mother was to safeguard her children.

She then went on to describe the current situation as frightening. According to the Black Summer star, she was afraid to publicly discuss losing sole custody of her sons, James, 11, and Leo, 9, to her ex-husband Kyle Newman.

King also opened up about the difficulties single mothers usually face when navigating the child custody system:

"I just didn't know when I got married at a young age. I just didn't know that the world works like this. I didn't know that legal systems work like this.”

For context, Mandatory reported on March 26 that, recently, a court decision in favour of Newman resulted in Jaime King losing physical custody of her two children.

Newman has been given sole physical custody, but the ex-couple will still share legal custody. King is currently only allowed to see her kids three times a week under supervision.

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Jaime King further deemed the custody battle as scary

For the first time since losing sole physical custody of her sons, Jaime King is speaking out. Regarding Newman, whom she married in 2007, King stated:

"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.”

Kramer then empathized with her, saying:

“I feel for you because you know, I've been in custody stuff with my ex and the relationship. I mean, it's just hard when it's just so front and center and you're dealing with kids, and so I just really empathize with a lot of your story..”

Talking further about the unfairness of the whole system, Jaime King said:

“I'm extremely grateful, and at the same time, the system is really unfair, and I think that it's really important to support the structure of family and kindness. Kindness is the key..”

Jana Kramer and her ex-husband, Mike Caussin, have two children together, and they also went through a custody dispute. Referring to the same, the One Tree Hill star then discussed her personal experiences and said:

"I agree with you on 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."

Kramer continued by stating that she mostly saw a dysfunctional legal system in the nation. Meanwhile, Jaime King also responded to recent reports that she was mandated to serve a six-month sentence at a rehabilitation centre. She then said to Jana Kramer:

"I've never had to think about myself as sober or not sober. I stopped using drugs at 17 or something.”

She continued by alleging that her ex-husband had lied to the court about her early years in order to obtain custody of their sons. After facing difficulties with the child custody system herself, Jaime King expressed her desire to alter it.

In 2024, Newman had requested sole custody, claiming that King was intoxicated when he found her in charge of their kids. Following King's failure to finish a six-month drug and alcohol recovery program imposed by the court, the custody arrangement was changed.

She had to go through weekly testing, parenting training, and individual and group counselling with her kids as part of the program. People reported on April 10 that the outlet had previously acquired records pertaining to King's visiting rights.

According to an addition to the court order, King is required to have supervised visitation because she has not finished a six-month drug and alcohol program with aftercare, a two-step program, individual counselling to address case issues, and a conjoint court.