Reality Star Faces Heartbreak Over Holiday Season
Meghan King, the former Real Housewives of Orange County star, experienced a particularly difficult Thanksgiving this year, spending the holiday completely separated from her three children. The 41-year-old reality television personality currently retains only supervised visitation rights on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which did not include the festive period.
According to reports from Page Six, her nine-year-old daughter Aspen and seven-year-old twin sons Hart and Hayes instead celebrated Thanksgiving with their father, Jim Edmonds, 55, and his wife, Kortnie Edmonds, at their family home in Tennessee. King, who resides in Missouri, remained notably quiet on social media, sharing no updates about her own holiday activities.
The Custody Dispute and CPS Investigation
This painful separation comes on the heels of King temporarily losing custody of her children just last week. The dramatic change in the custody arrangement followed an investigation by Child Protective Services (CPS).
A source revealed to Page Six that the investigation was triggered by allegations that King had administered prescription medication to her son Hayes on multiple occasions. The medication in question was reportedly Ritalin, a drug used to treat ADHD, despite the young boy never having received a formal diagnosis for the condition.
Us Weekly provided further context, reporting that CPS became involved after a staff member at the children’s elementary school contacted the authorities. This contact was allegedly made after King requested that a school nurse give the medication to Hayes.
Immediate Repercussions and Legal Proceedings
The situation prompted immediate action from Jim Edmonds and his wife. Page Six reported that the couple were in Tennessee when CPS contacted them, leading them to fly immediately to Missouri to be with the children.
The current legal arrangement grants Edmonds sole physical custody of the three children. King has been granted supervised visitation twice per week. Furthermore, a temporary restraining order has been issued by the court.
A critical hearing is scheduled for December 9, where a judge will determine if this temporary custody arrangement should be made permanent, a decision that will profoundly impact the family's future.
In a surprising twist, King's former RHOC co-star, Kelly Dodd, appeared to confirm the situation in a TikTok video. "So I just got off the phone with Meghan King Edmonds," Dodd stated. "And she said that she gave one of her other twins Hayes some Ritalin, I guess, and it made her a 'dangerous mother.'"
Despite acknowledging past conflicts, Dodd came to King's defence, calling her a devoted parent. "We’ve had a lot of differences… but she loves those babies, she loves those kids, and I know for a fact she’s a good mother," Dodd insisted. "She is an excellent mother."
Amidst the turmoil, King recently shared a heartfelt birthday tribute to her eldest child, Aspen, who turned nine. 'The brightest light, my greatest joy. A spectacular gift from God was born 9 years ago today,' she wrote on social media, calling Aspen her 'favourite female to ever walk the planet.'
This custody dispute is the latest in a series of public conflicts between King and Edmonds, who were married in 2014 and finalised their divorce in 2021. Their disagreements have previously extended to their son Hart’s medical diagnosis, with King stating he has cerebral palsy while Edmonds maintains he has a different condition involving brain white matter damage.
