As easy as it would be to turn to tabloids for fodder for our blog, we try hard to avoid them. Rarely do the circumstances of celebrity divorces have any relevance to readers in and around Pleasanton.
That isn’t always the case, however. The family law issues of actors Zoe McLellan and J.P. Gillain as reported by the online entertainment site TMZ, serve as a possible case in point.
McClellan and Gillain are not what you would call your A-list personalities. She enjoyed some success when she landed a long-standing role on TV’s “JAG” back in the 1990s. He has not been as fortunate. In recent years, TMZ says, she has worked as a life coach and he has been waiting tables. They have one child — an 18-month-old son.
A new day recently dawned for McLellan when she was signed to star in the spin-off TV series “NCIS: New Orleans.” According to TMZ, her contract calls for her to earn $45,000 an episode.
Not long after she signed the deal, Gillain filed for divorce. As part of his petition, he reportedly also sought joint custody of the couple’s son. TMZ claims McLellan doesn’t think the timing is coincidental. Rather, she reportedly suspects the motive is her new-found success.
Nor does she think that the appeal for joint custody is an expression of Gillain’s parental dedication. According to documents that TMZ says it has obtained, McLellan says Gillain has been out of the loop as a dad and she claims he just wants joint custody so he can seek child support from her.
All this contention may have come to a head yesterday in court. TMZ says McLellan asked a judge to grant her temporary full custody of the couple’s son. Her apparent desire is to take the boy with her to New Orleans, where the new series will be shot. There’s no word that a ruling has been issued.
What we see reflected in this case are the emotion-filled disputes over child custody, support and parent relocation issues that can be common in almost any divorce. To work through the issues in the most effective way possible, it’s best to have experienced legal help.
Source: TMZ, “‘JAG’ star Zoe McLellan: My loser husband wants custody to get my TV money,” June 17, 2014