Demi Moore's camp is framing this as a grandmother protecting her family. The declaration paints Rumer Willis as overwhelmed and unsupported, while positioning the actress as Louetta's primary protective figure amid custody chaos.
Insiders say Thomas has been fighting back hard in this custody battle. Sources close to both parties suggest the 2024 breakup was ugly, with Rumer claiming 'incessant domestic violence' and emotional abuse occurring before they split—often in front of their daughter.
Moore's declaration was filed in January 2026. Louetta was born April 2023 via home birth. Thomas' attorney Mike Kretzmer stated: 'Mr. Thomas is a loving, capable and wholly appropriate father to their child.' Rumer, 37, claims she handles '100 percent of the financial and physical support.'
When an Oscar nominee writes a declaration this detailed about your parenting skills, you know the gloves are off—and the courtroom is going to be uglier than any red carpet showdown.
Demi Moore just dropped a nuclear option in her daughter Rumer Willis' custody battle, and I am absolutely here for it. In bombshell court documents obtained by Us Weekly, the "Substance" star—yes, THAT Demi Moore, Cannes jury member, Oscar nominee, Hollywood royalty—took zero prisoners when detailing what she witnessed from Derek Richard Thomas, the musician who shares 3-year-old daughter Louetta with her eldest child. The actress filed a declaration to the court in January, and it's scathing.
Moore alleged that during Rumer's home birth of Louetta in April 2023, Thomas—who had not showered—"got into the birthing tub in an aggressive and sudden manner" while Rumer was in labor. "Everyone was shocked," Moore claimed. "Rumer asked him to get out immediately, and he did.
He then spent the rest of the birth acting angry and pouting, and making it all about him." The actress didn't hold back when she assessed Thomas's behavior that day: "He essentially ruined what should've been one of the happiest moments of her life." But wait—there's more. Moore claimed that less than 12 hours after Rumer gave birth, Thomas "angrily complain[ed]" about Moore and Rumer's sister Scout Willis being at the house to help clean.
"I heard him berate and angrily complain to Rumer, 'How dare we come over without his permission,'" Moore penned in the declaration. The actress alleged Thomas stayed in Rumer's room for at least 30 minutes that morning, refusing to leave her alone. It only ended when Rumer physically walked away to escape him.
Moore also claimed Thomas demanded she hand over baby Louetta for "skin-to-skin contact" immediately after Moore held her granddaughter—and that's not all. She alleged he was "aggressive" and "would not let Rumer put clothes on Louetta when she was clearly cold and needing to be bundled and swaddled." The actress painted a picture of someone with zero consideration for anyone but himself: "He showed absolutely no respect, care, concern, compassion or support toward anyone, especially Rumer and the baby." The allegations don't stop at one traumatic birth experience.
Moore claimed Thomas regularly returns Louetta to her home "filthy" with unchanged diapers, leaves car seats filthy, and simply expects others to clean up after him. She also alleged he tries to isolate Rumer from her famous family—which includes Bruce Willis—saying: "Derek constantly sucks the joy out of all encounters with him." Moore claimed Thomas "wants to put Rumer at odds with our family, and creates unnecessary stress and fear for Rumer to this day." Rumer herself has made explosive claims in separate court docs, alleging a "persistent pattern" of "insane emotional abuse" that occurred before the couple's 2024 breakup—often "in front of the minor child or while they were trapped in the car with him." She also claimed Thomas exhibited "erratic and bizarre" behavior that "escalated" after Louetta's birth.
Unsurprisingly, Thomas isn't taking this lying down. His attorney Mike Kretzmer fired back hard: "Ms. Willis' statements are inaccurate and false and we intend to demonstrate this in court.
Mr. Thomas is a loving, capable and wholly appropriate father to their child. He wants nothing more than to be the best father he can be." The lawyer added that Rumer's accusations are "bombastic and dramatic, but lack substance and factual support as we will demonstrate in Court at the appropriate time"—and noted his client plans to "try this case in court and not in press." Moore claimed Rumer is doing "100 percent of the financial and physical support" for Louetta while Thomas allegedly refuses to contribute or share parental responsibilities. Whether these claims hold up under legal scrutiny remains to be seen, but one thing's certain: when this custody battle hits the courtroom, it's going to be a showdown worth watching.
