Jesse Williams' 2 Kids: Everything to Know

Get to know Jesse Williams’ 2 kids: Sadie and Maceo

Jesse Williams is the proud dad of two young children he shares with ex Aryn Drake-Lee.

The former couple became parents for the first time when they welcomed their daughter Sadie, now 9, in 2013. Then in 2015, Drake-Lee gave birth to their son Maceo, now 8. Less than two years later, however, the duo filed for divorce — and began an ongoing struggle for custody of their children.

Over the course of the past several years, Williams and Drake-Lee have weathered a series of legal battles, beginning with child support. While Williams was originally ordered to pay more than $50,000 per month in child support in addition to $50,695 per month in spousal support, his payments were eventually lowered to $6,413 a month following his departure from Grey's Anatomy.

Meanwhile, Williams has also fought for the visitation of the former couple's children. Shortly after their split, Williams filed for joint legal and physical custody but later alleged that Drake-Lee was restricting his access to their children. Drake-Lee then requested sole custody. The custody battle was eventually settled in 2018, giving Williams and Drake-Lee 50/50 joint legal custody.

Since then, Williams and Drake-Lee have faced off in court regarding custody changes due to his move to New York City in 2022 for his role in the Broadway production of Take Me Out. While Williams asked to alter the custody schedule to accommodate his working schedule, Drake-Lee argued that the changes would require "a lot of juggling" for herself and the children.

Although Williams' request was denied, it was brought up once again when he returned to Broadway to reprise his role that fall. He requested that the court grant him specific custodial visits during his temporary move, while Drake-Lee argued that the children's frequent cross-country visits impacted their stability and well-being. The judge ruled to give Williams various visitation days — and banned the duo from making derogatory remarks about one another in front of their children and on social media.

Despite the former couple's ups and downs, they have both maintained that they always have the best interest of their children in mind.

Here's everything to know about Jesse Williams' kids.

Sadie Williams, 9

Williams became a father for the first time when Drake-Lee gave birth to their daughter Sadie Williams in December 2013. Shortly after welcoming the little girl, the private parents decided not to reveal her exact birth date. But a few weeks after her arrival, Williams shared that he was loving being a parent — although he admitted he wasn't getting much sleep.

"It's hard to describe. It's wonderful — a new discovery every day. It's great and I'm loving it. Not getting too much sleep ... I'm just trying to put together three solid hours of cogent communication!" Williams told PEOPLE.

Following Williams' split from Drake-Lee in 2017, the couple have done their best to keep Sadie out of the spotlight amid their custody battle. While Williams doesn't often speak about the little girl, he has shared a few cute insights into her life, including a hilarious gift she gave him for Father's Day in 2017. The hand-drawn card included a drawing of Williams as well as a questionnaire that said he liked to "cook cereal" and was tall "like an elephant."

"Knows her daddy too well and sketches him w chilling accuracy," Williams jokingly captioned the photo.

That same year, Williams shared an adorable photo of him painting Sadie's nails pink. While he appeared to be making a mess, he wrote that his "Nail, Face, Feet & Hand Painting Salon" was open for business.

As the little girl grows up, Drake-Lee has called Sadie an "old soul" who's in touch with other people's emotions. Drake-Lee referenced one specific instance where she said she was having a difficult day and the little girl offered her comfort.

"The other day, I was having a hard morning and I said something to her, and she got upset. I got down and I said to her, 'Mommy's having a really hard morning, I don't know if you can feel it?' She said, 'Yeah, I can feel it.' I said, 'Okay, well, I'm really sorry. It's going to be a little while, but I'll feel a little better,' and she pulled me in, and she said, 'I'll hold you while it hurts.' She's unbelievable this little girl," Drake-Lee shared.

Now at age 8, Drake-Lee says she still has a special bond with Sadie, whom she calls an "eager curious adventurous helper and healer" who "embodies unconditional love." Together, she says they are on a mission to "lead and heal in tandem by example."

Maceo August Lion-Baldwin Williams, 8

On June 11, 2015, Williams became a dad for the second time when he and Drake-Lee welcomed their son at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. The couple chose the name Maceo August Lion-Baldwin Williams for their little boy.

While Williams and Drake-Lee haven't shared much about their son, it appears that he has a sweet relationship with his older sister Sadie. In a cute photo shared by Williams in 2017, the sibling duo can be seen holding hands while admiring the artwork on a wall.

Maceo also appears to have a close bond with Drake-Lee, who shared a funny interaction with the little boy in 2019. On Instagram, she wrote that Maceo asked to squeeze her "mimis" and then lay in between them. Drake-Lee noted that she agreed, writing that their "skin to skin" contact was helping them stay "close and connected."

Now at age 7, Maceo is focused on school in L.A. – but gets to visit Williams in N.Y.C. on occasion. Williams recently shared a fun video of the little boy checking out the posters for his Broadway show and pointing out which posters featured a photo of his dad.

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