Rumer Willis' ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas hits back at 'aggressive' claims amid custody row

Rumer Willis' ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas is pushing back on allegations made in court papers by the actress and her mother Demi Moore that he had been abusive and controlling to her, as they raise their three-year-old daughter, Louetta.

Rumer, 37, the eldest daughter of A-listers Moore, 63, and Bruce Willis, 71, is in an ongoing custody battle with Thomas, who she split with in 2024. 

Thomas said he'd never acted 'aggressively or inappropriately' in his time with Willis in a Tuesday court filing in Los Angeles reviewed by the Daily Mail, amid the former couple's yearlong custody row. 

'Our relationship ended because we were incompatible, and it was not working,' Thomas said. 'That is not domestic violence.'

Thomas's lawyer Michael J. Kretzmer told the Daily Mail Wednesday that his client 'is a devoted, caring and loving father to Louetta,' and 'that is his concern and only interest going forward.' 

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Willis for further comment on the story. 

Thomas told the court that he remains in contact via FaceTime with Louetta, vowing to provide an environment 'that will stabilize what has been an otherwise chaotic and unreasonable situation for' the child, should the court award him custody. 

He said in his filing that he remains sober, having recently passed a urine test he took on his own. 

Thomas requested the court order Willis to establish a firm schedule for talks and visits between him and his daughter. 

The musician is seeking clarified structure in his custody arrangement, claiming in court docs that Willis continues changing the 'conditions' of their arrangement over Louetta when they try to work out visitation dates. 

'The pattern the court should understand is this: every time a visit was arranged, a new condition appeared,' Thomas said, citing multiple dates plans were allegedly changed on a whim. 'Every confirmation was followed by a reversal.'

Willis moved out of state about a year-and-a-half ago to live in Idaho, to avoid poor air conditions in the wake of the wildfires that scorched Los Angeles, Thomas claimed in the filing, and attempted to remain there on a permanent basis. She denied the allegations. 

Thomas claimed in the filing Willis had also used Louetta in ads without his consent, saying she featured their child in 'sponsored social media content or toilet paper commercials featuring adult sexual humor.' 

In previous legal filings, Willis claimed Thomas exhibited tendencIes reflecting 'domestic violence and coercive control' toward her in their interactions.

Moore said in a court filing earlier this year that Thomas 'appears to want to dictate and control Rumer’s environment to his needs.'

Moore told the court that she and her two younger daughters Scout, 34, and Tallulah, 32, witnessed brazen behavior from Thomas when they convened at Rumer's home when she delivered Louetta on April 18, 2023.

'While Rumer was giving birth to Louetta in the birthing tub, Derek, without asking, and without having showered, got into the birthing tub in an aggressive and sudden manner,' the Ghost star told the court in the previous filing.

Moore said that everyone in the room 'was shocked' by Thomas trying to make the moment 'all about him.'

She said in the filing, 'Rumer asked him to get out immediately, and he did. He then spent the rest of the birth acting angry and pouting.'

Moore said, 'Initially I thought it was in part the hormones with the pregnancy occurring on top of this after such a short relationship. Overtime I saw that his behavior was very odd and that he always put himself and his needs first.'

The star further claimed in the court filing that Thomas had 'no consideration' for Rumer or Louetta, alleging: 'He essentially ruined what should’ve been one of the happiest moments of her life.'

The actress claimed when she returned to Rumer's home with her daughter Scout the day after the birth, Thomas allegedly came into the room to 'angrily complain that we were there cleaning.'

Moore wrote: 'I heard him pressure Rumer not to have me and her sisters there with her for support. I heard him berate and angrily complain to Rumer, "How dare we come over without his permission."'

'He stayed in the room with Rumer for at least 30 minutes that morning less than 12 hours after Rumer had given birth. He would not leave her alone. It ended only when Rumer left the room to get away from him' she claimed.

Moore alleged that after cleaning and while she was holding Louetta for the first time, Thomas 'suddenly whipped off his shirt and demanded I give him the baby so he could have what he called "skin to skin contact."'

She alleged Thomas 'would not let Rumer put clothes on Louetta when she was clearly cold and needing to be bundled and swaddled.'

Moore also claimed that Thomas 'wants to put Rumer at odds with our family' and 'try to cut her support system completely out of the picture.'

The Substance star made further allegations that Thomas had brought his daughter back to her home 'filthy with an unchanged diaper' after being in his care, adding, 'He clearly expected Rumer or me or our staff to do everything for him.'

Moore alleged in a declaration Rumer is 'doing 100 percent of the financial and physical support' for Louetta, claiming Thomas has 'refused to make any effort and has shown no desire to seek out means to support Louetta.

'I have continued to see him make choices that are not reflective of someone who truly wants to share in parental responsibility,' she added in the declaration.

Willis said in a May 13 filing in Los Angeles Superior Court that Thomas' alleged 'incessant domestic violence in the form of coercive control' was the reason their relationship ended.

Willis said: 'He could not control himself even when his one-year-old child was crying and clearly traumatized by his behavior.

'The emotional abuse in front of their child and [his] drug use are the primary reasons [Rumer] does not want [him] to have overnights or time with Louetta without a 730 child custody evaluation.

Willis claimed that 'during the relationship [Derek] engaged in a persistent pattern of emotional abuse and often in front of the minor child or while they were trapped in the car with him.'

Thomas responded with his declaration in early 2026 claiming Willis' claims were 'replete with inaccurate and false information.'

Willis said she wanted to end her relationship with Thomas shortly after Louetta's birth claiming 'that is when his erratic and bizarre behavior escalated. 

'I was in a fragile postpartum state, and he was causing me a lot of stress, I also became afraid for myself and our baby, so I was constantly trying to keep the peace and walk on eggshells. 

'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. He had paranoid behavior saying that my mother and I were plotting to take Louetta away from him.

Thomas denied all allegations of domestic abuse in documents filed in early 2026, but acknowledged the relationship was 'unhealthy and appropriately came to an end.'

'I have committed no acts of domestic violence in any form, including any active ‘coercive control' adding 'it was not at all characterized by any violence, physical or emotional attacks or intimidation on my part' he wrote.

'The decision to end the relationship between myself and [Rumer] was a mutual decision made in our mutual best interests.'

Willis also alleged in 2026 that Thomas does not pay child support 'nor has he ever offered to pay for anything that Louetta needs.'

She alleged in the May 13 court filing he does not work and earns $3,000 a month from royalties - claiming Thomas expects her and her 'wealthy family to take care of everything financially, emotionally, and physically

Per income and expense documents filed this year, Willis said she made more than $4800 a month with her production company and $4,000 to $5000 a month from her rental property. 

She claimed that she spends around $15,000 to $21,000 a month on other expenses such as childcare and groceries.

Willis said she does not rely on her wealthy parents to pay her expenses and 'is no longer willing to support [his] visitation or pay for all of Louetta’s expenses.'

Thomas claimed to make $3600 a month from his occupation as a 'musician, educator and entrepreneur.'

The original petition to determine the parental relationship saw Thomas request an order for child custody and visitation, claiming Willis had permanently moved to Sun Valley, Idaho with Louetta in 2024, without his consent. Willis denies this. 

Thomas requested joint legal and physical custody of Louetta and child visitation - with Willis filing a motion to dismiss his petition in August 2025. She claimed Louetta's home state was Idaho but this case was itself dismissed in January 2026, with California found to be the correct state.

Per the document, Willis claimed she had offered to pay for Thomas to visit Louetta in Idaho and he has allegedly refused.

In subsequent court documents, she claimed Thomas was offered a place to stay on Moore's Sun Valley property where Louetta and Willis live, but he allegedly 'forfeited visits.' 

The former couple agreed to mediation with a private judge in September 2025. 

Willis last month in her court filing asked for primary physical custody and for a custody evaluation as well as drug testing for Thomas due to his alleged 'history of chronic daily marijuana use and evidence of behavior indicative of someone under the influence of drugs for extended periods of time.'

Thomas responded in a declaration: 'This is false' and 'I have previously used marijuana as legally allowed and at no point did I engage in the use of marijuana to such a degree as to render me unable to fully and properly fulfill my duties and obligations as Louetta’ s father.'