Bruce Willis’s Daughter Accuses Ex Of Domestic Violence As She Fights For Daughter’s Custody

Rumer Willis has made explosive allegations against her ex-partner Derek Richard Thomas in an ongoing custody battle over their three-year-old daughter, Louetta. 

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, the 37-year-old actress accused Thomas of “incessant domestic violence” and a “persistent pattern” of emotional abuse throughout their relationship, which ended in 2024.

Rumer, the daughter of actors Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, claimed Thomas subjected her to “prolonged circular verbal attacks” that allegedly lasted for hours and occurred nearly every day.

“He engaged in ongoing coercive control,” Rumer alleged in the filing, adding that many incidents took place in front of their daughter or while they were in the car together. The actress claimed Thomas’ behavior became increasingly “erratic and bizarre” following Louetta’s birth in April 2023.

“I was constantly trying to keep the peace and walk on eggshells,” Rumer claimed. “He wanted to isolate me from my friends and family. He constantly called me a liar with no reason behind it. He told me I was a bad girlfriend all the time.

She also accused Thomas of exhibiting paranoid behavior, alleging he believed she and her mother were plotting to take Louetta away from him.

Rumer is seeking primary physical custody of the child and requested that Thomas not be granted overnight visits until a formal custody evaluation is completed. She alleged the environment created by the relationship had left Louetta “traumatized.”

The filing also raised concerns about Thomas’ alleged marijuana use. Rumer described one incident in which she claimed he was “so high” he was unable to properly supervise their daughter.

She claimed that Louetta once fell off a bed while in Thomas’ care in 2023 and accused him of failing to respond appropriately afterward.

Thomas, however, insisted Rumer made this request because she feels “enraged” by their daughter’s “clear affection” for his new partner.

Rumer additionally requested that Thomas not be permitted to bathe with Louetta, describing the behavior as “highly inappropriate” given the child’s age.

Thomas has strongly denied all allegations

In his response, Thomas stated he had “I have committed no acts of domestic violence in any form, including any active coercive control. [Our] relationship was unhealthy and appropriately came to an end, but it was not at all characterized by any violence, physical or emotional attacks or intimidation on my part.”

He also denied being a current marijuana user and rejected claims that his parenting placed Louetta at risk.

“[Louetta] has never been injured in any way, has not suffered trauma or emotional or physical abuse of any kind nor been neglected at any time she’s been in my care,” he stated.
Thomas’ attorney criticized Rumer’s claims, calling the filings “substantially inaccurate and replete with false allegations.”

Elsewhere in the filings, Rumer claimed Thomas created “high stress and chaos” during visits to Los Angeles while she was caring for her father, Bruce Willis, who has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

She also claimed Thomas has not paid her “any support” and expects her “wealthy family to take care of everything,” which she claimed is impossible as she “does not rely on her parents for her expenses to be paid [and is] going to be in severe debt with attorney fees.”

Demi Moore’s Take On The Case

Submitting a filing in support of her daughter, Demi Moore alleged that Thomas behaved aggressively during Louetta’s birth. She added that he “ruined what should’ve been one of the happiest moments” of Rumer’s life.

Thomas’ lawyer told the outlet Rumer’s filings were “substantially inaccurate and replete with false allegations,” adding, “Derek Thomas is an excellent father who wants nothing more than to be a fully responsible, committed, caring and devoted father to their child.”

Rumer Willis and Derek Richard Thomas’s Relationship

The couple went public with their relationship in late 2022. The following year, Rumer and Thomas welcomed their daughter, Louetta, in April 2023. 

By August 2024, the news of their split emerged and Rumer confirmed that the two had gone their separate ways.

In a social media statement shared at the time, Rumer revealed she was “single-moming it and coparenting.”