Christina Ricci filed for divorce from her husband, James Heerdegen, in July 2020. She has now requested a restraining order against James, and she continues to insist that he was physically and emotionally abusive during their marriage.
The divorce filing followed an alleged physical attack in the couple's home, and Christina was granted an emergency protective order the same month. The newest restraining order request includes details of abuse Christina says she has endured at the hands of James.
In the filing, Christina details two attacks that she says happened in June 2020. James reportedly dragged her around the house in one attack and threw coffee and a chair at her in another. Christina also states that in late 2019 James told her, "the only way he could feel sorry for me is if I were dismembered into small pieces."
James has now been ordered to stay at least 100 feet away from Christina and the couple's 6-year-old son at all times. He is further banned from having any contact with Christina or their son. Christina is also trying to attempt to stop James from sharing video or audio that would "humiliate and embarrass" her.
However, the lawyer for her estranged husband, Larry Bakman, has issued a statement of his own. He says James "unequivocally denies all allegations of abuse made by Ms. Ricci as having occurred in 2020" and that he plans to file for his own restraining order "detailing her abusive conduct fueled by alcohol and substance abuse."
His statement continues, "His papers will also include documentation that Ms. Ricci advised law enforcement in December 2019 that there had been no prior incidents of domestic violence between the couple, thereby calling into question her credibility."
Christina confirmed her engagement to James in 2013. Outlets first reported that the couple were dating in February 2012. They reportedly met on the set of her canceled series, Pan Am.
Christina previously credited her marriage and becoming a mom with keeping her grounded in a new way. She told People magazine, "My agent has been with me since I was 10 years old and she's a brilliant, grounded woman, so she’s responsible for that element. But also really, it was getting married and having a child."
She continued, "I didn't realize how much growing up I had to do and how much better I could be. And my marriage and my kid have really made me better."
She also said that when she's not working, she loves to be with her son. "Usually when I'm off, I'm with my son. When I'm not working, I try to be as full-time with him as I can be. Taking him to his play dates and nursery school."
