IOAN Gruffudd has won a major court victory in his messy battle with ex-wife Alice Evans over custody of their two daughters.
The couple are in a legal wrangle over 13-year-old Ella and her nine-year-old sister Elsie.
Now a judge in Los Angeles has granted Fantastic Four star Ioan’s demand for the appointment of a child psychologist.
Alice, 55, had slammed her ex-husband’s request for the “child custody evaluator”.
But yesterday Judge Josh Freeman Stinn said: “The petitioner’s (Gruffudd) request for the appointment of a child custody evaluator is granted.”
Neither Ioan nor Alice attended the hearing where Judge Stinn made the order.
It comes after Ioan, 49, accused Alice of “child abuse” after their 13-year-old daughter Ella filed a restraining order.
In Los Angeles court documents seen by the Mail, Ioan, 49, said: “Alice has continued to inflict serious emotional harm on Ella and Elsie by her statements and by interfering in my relationship with them.
“Alice has verbally abused and undermined me in front of the girls throughout their lives.
“Since January 2021, Alice has also encouraged and instructed them not to see me or communicate with me.
“She has made thousands of threatening and abusive communications to me and about me.”
Hollywood star Ioan obtained a restraining order last August against Alice, 55.
He now claims that “Alice has violated the restraining order repeatedly and continues to do so to this day.”
Ioan blasted Alice for allegedly getting Ella to file her own restraining order against him – and for stopping their two daughters from going to therapy.
The actor said: “Although there is an order for the girls to attend therapy, Alice has repeatedly either refused to bring the girls or interfered with my bringing the girls to therapy.
“Since separation, the girls have missed more therapy session than they have attended and they have had multiple therapists.
“I believe Alice’s actions are child abuse and I am gravely concerned for our children.”
Alice denies abusing or harming her daughters.
Ioan has the ability to freely call the kids but has for whatever reason not done so
Alice Evans
She claimed that Ioan “has not seen, complied with, nor called the children for 11 weeks”.
Alice said: “I do not agree to have the children and ourselves be subjected to a prolonged and expensive child custody evaluation if it’s based on the speculation and conjecture of the petitioner’s suspicions.
“Petitioner says he believes the kids are suffering serious emotional harm but show no proof of any symptoms experienced by our girls to support those accusations.
“Petitioner has his visitation schedule and has the ability to freely call the kids but has for whatever reason not done so.
“Given his silence and lack of effort to have a relationship with the children, I do not believe petitioner has shown a need or urgency for appointment of a child custody evaluator.”
The feuding couple met when they co-starred in the 2000 Disney movie 101 Dalmatians.
Ioan filed for divorce in March 2021 after Alice claimed on social media that he had walked out on the family.
Their divorce was completed last month, with Ioan now dating 31-year-old Bianca Wallace.
