In a heartfelt public plea, former The Real Housewives of Orange County star Kelly Dodd has come to the defence of her ex-co-star Meghan King, praising her as an 'excellent mother' and calling for prayers after King reportedly lost custody of her three children.
A Plea for Support on Social Media
Dodd took to TikTok on Wednesday to share details of a recent phone call with King, which occurred after news broke that King had temporarily lost custodial rights to her children. The 50-year-old reality TV personality set aside their past differences to offer a staunch defence of her friend's character.
'So I just got off the phone with Meghan King Edmonds,' Dodd informed her followers. 'And she said that she gave one of her other twins Hayes some Ritalin, I guess, and it made her a ‘dangerous mother.''
Dodd was quick to counter this characterisation, drawing on her personal experiences. 'This I do know,' she emphasised, 'she loves those babies, she loves those kids, and I know for a fact she's a good mother. She is an excellent mother.'
The Background of the Custody Dispute
According to sources speaking to Us Weekly, the custody change is the result of an investigation by Child Protective Services (CPS). The probe was reportedly initiated not by King's ex-husband, former baseball player Jim Edmonds, or his current wife, but by an employee at the children's elementary school.
The investigation has led to a significant shift in the living arrangements for King's three children: eight-year-old daughter Aspen and seven-year-old twin sons Hart and Hayes. As it stands, Jim Edmonds currently has sole physical custody on a temporary basis, while King is limited to supervised visitation rights.
This development is the latest in a series of contentious events between the former couple, who finalised their divorce in 2021 after marrying in 2014.
Previous Tensions and Allegations
The custody issue follows a police incident on May 1 of this year, where King was accused of entering Edmonds' Missouri home without permission. A police report listed Edmonds' current wife, Kortnie, as the victim who placed the call.
King's representative offered a different account of the event, claiming the incident was 'mischaracterised' and that King 'never stepped inside' the home. They stated she was merely dropping off a dress for their daughter and was met with an 'unnecessarily hostile' police response.
A crucial court hearing scheduled for December will determine if the current temporary custody arrangement will be made permanent.
Concluding her emotional video, which was captioned with a call for prayers, Dodd made a final appeal to her audience: 'I just pray that she gets her babies back. Everyone just pray for Meghan and her family. Those boys and that daughter need their mom, they need their mother. It’s terrible, it's terrible what is going on right now. All we can do is pray for Meghan.'
