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Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans to be in Court for Nine-day Trial After Last Settlement Attempt Fails
Ioan Gruffudd, a Fantastic Four actor, and his ex-wife Alice Evans were offered, on Tuesday, one final chance to settle their long-standing, bitter, legal dispute before a nine-day trial starts next week.
Nonetheless, a hearing that reportedly ended in deadlock with no-one wanting to give up, Daily Mail says.
The big battle in the courtroom is set to go ahead as planned on February 23 at the Los Angeles Superior Court, where a judge will ultimately decide who wins the case of the ongoing dispute, the report adds.
Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans to Face Nine-Day Trial as Settlement Talks Break Down
Ioan Gruffudd, who played Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four, and his ex-wife Alice Evans had one last chance on Tuesday to settle their bitter, long-running dispute before a tough nine-day trial starts next week.
However, the session ended without any agreement as both parties refused to make a concession, Daily Mail reports.
Thus, the highly contentious trial of the former couple is going on as planned on the 23rd of February at Los Angeles Superior Court—where a judge will have to make a decision on their long-standing disagreement.
Gruffudd, 52, showed up at the trial readiness conference wearing a navy suit. Evans, 57, joined the meeting through an audio link, while Judge Michael Convey cautioned it is “this case’s final stop.”
The crux of the dispute is Gruffudd seeking a permanent restraining order against Evans. He claims that she and the two have been victims of “abuse and harassment” as have his new wife, Bianca Wallace, 33, whom he intends to call as a witness at the trial.
Judge Asks Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans to Act Civilly as They Get Ready for Trial
Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans have yet to reach an agreement on spousal and child support for their daughters, Ella (16) and Elsie (12). The court-ordered settlement conferences helped to resolve a few issues; however, the two could not come to a consensus on the two most significant points.
Tuesday, upon finding out that the couple’ s “meet-and-confer sessions” still led to no agreement, Judge Michael Convey strongly suggested the ex-spouses keep it civil and not turn the trial into a war of words.
“Both of you are very well represented—let your attorneys help you serve your family,” the judge told the couple. “We don’t need any kind of drama. We have to focus on the children’s needs.”
Documents submitted to the court reveal that the hostilities between one another have become outright in recent years as a result of several incidents.
Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans Disagree Over Restraining Order and Support Payments
Ioan Gruffudd claims that after a three-year restraining order, which was the last one, Alice Evans has performed an “extensive and relentless five-year campaign of domestic abuse” not only towards him but also to his new wife, Bianca Wallace, who gave birth to their daughter Mila this past November.
Evans disagrees with the accusations and is against the issuing of a permanent restraining order, considering such allegations to be “simply not reasonable or credible.” Besides, she maintains that recent social media posts could not be considered as harassment but “merely statements made by Alice about her life and current circumstances.”
There is also a financial support issue at hand between the two ex-partners. Evans wants to be granted a raise in monthly spousal support from $1,500 to $1,850 and in child support from $3,000 to $4,650. Gruffudd is against it and demands that spousal support be discontinued altogether, referring to Evans’ “persistent domestic abuse” and alleged breaking of the restraining order as reasons.
Furthermore, Gruffudd insists that he has “grossly overpaid” Evans by about $400,000 in spousal support already.
Financial Claims Are At The Root of Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans’ Dispute Over Court Proceedings
Alice Evans stated that she is financially stranded and she said she was even without a home along with her daughters after they fell behind in their rent. She further adds that she has been forced to sell designer clothes and even start a GoFundMe as ways of getting money for basic things such as food.
Ioan Gruffudd does not agree with that story and even accuses Evans of intentionally getting evicted so that they can use the story of her being financially needy as their public narrative and also to get him discredited so that he is pressured in paying more to support the children than he is really able to.
Gruffudd says that Evans brought in more than 130,000 dollars in 2024 and that she will have the capability of working full-time and earning a stable income. He also states that his income is about 575,000 dollars annually, but Evans has argued that he made closer to 588,000 dollars per year before their separation.
Custody Battles and Legal Costs Only Exacerbate the Situation
Alice Evans has accused Ioan Gruffudd of hardly ever seeing their daughters, while Gruffudd claims that she has been part of the problem between him and the children.
He is saying that Evans’ “deliberate and extensive social media campaign” has not only lowered his earnings but also increased envy-based tensions over his wife, Bianca Gruffudd, thus having a detrimental effect on his previously close relationship with his daughters.
Besides, Gruffudd is demanding $43,000 from Evans as reimbursement for his legal costs related to the petition for the continuation of the restraining order against her. Evans has disagreed with the motion, describing the figure as “unbelievable” and arguing that she “does not have the capacity” to pay additional money.
The exes initially met more than two decades ago during the filming of 102 Dalmatians, got married in Mexico in 2007, and have two daughters together. After Evans publicly revealed on social media that he was ending their 14-year marriage, Gruffudd responded by filing for divorce in March of 2021. In July 2023, they got divorced.