Actress Kelly Rutherford raising awareness of international custody fights

ByMarci Gonzalez WABC logo
Friday, August 14, 2015
Kelly Rutherford speaks out for the first time after losing custody of kids
ABC's Marci Gonzales has the details

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Actress Kelly Rutherford is trying to raise awareness that international custody fights hers are not just happening to her family, but to so many others.

After a long and ugly custody battle, a judge on Tuesday ordered her children back overseas to be with their father, Daniel Giersch, in Monaco.

Now, she is pushing for new legislation while trying to bring her children back home.

The "Gossip Girl" star shared her frustration exclusively with Good Morning America.

"I walked into a courtroom where everything felt like it was already done. It was a done deal," Rutherford said.

RELATED: Kelly Rutherford issues blistering statement after losing custody battle

Her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, both American citizens, are back with their father,. A New York judge made the decision Tuesday after he accused Rutherford of kidnapping the children when she disobeyed a Monaco court order by not sending them back to Europe last week.

"I was accused of things I could not defend. Kidnapping is when no one knows where the children are," Rutherford said. "I was in communication. The kids Skyped with him every day."

It began six years ago when they agreed to share custody when they divorced. But when her ex-husband's U.S. Visa was revoked, the children were ruled to live with him in Monaco temporarily while he reapplied for a Visa, which he reportedly never did.

RELATED: Kelly Rutherford loses custody of 2 children to father in Monaco

Rutherford's attorney claims Giersch agreed the children would come back to America if he didn't get a Visa.

"He violated an American court order and the saddest part of this story is no American court seems to give a damn," said Wendy Murphy, Rutherford's attorney.

Giersch's attorney told ABC News that Giersch will not respond "to Kelly's latest round of false statements."

The case returns to court in Monaco on Sept. 3.