Kelly Rutherford's very public custody battle has taken a positive turn as she was finally reunited with her two children on Friday after three years of them living abroad with her ex-husband Daniel Giersch. The actress was seen playing in a park with eight-year-old Hermes and six-year-old Helena in New York and later opened up on The View about her feelings on having them back by her side.
"It's incredible, it's emotional. We're all a little jet-lagged – but happy," she said on Monday's show. "I think what people don't understand is that this is a victory for me. Previously their father only let me see them 11 days this year in Europe."
Kelly Rutherford has been reunited with her two children
This moment comes after she recently attended a court hearing in Monaco where a judge allowed her to bring her son and daughter to the United States after she lost custody in 2012 and went bankrupt trying to win them back.
"The last time I was there, the kids were expecting to see me, and [Giersch] said unless you hand over the US passports you can't see them," Kelly added. "They were sent here temporarily to give him time to work on his visa. I have a letter from the State Department that, as of today, he has made no effort to get a visa reinstated or come back to this country, so the burden is now put on my kids and the US citizens who are accommodating someone who is making no effort and who now is trying to get full custody in a foreign country."
Kelly's children had been living with their father for the last three years
When the 46-year-old was separated from her children, it was the everyday moments she missed, she revealed to HELLO! Online in April. "I miss dropping them off and picking them up from school. I miss the day-to-day and smelling them and kissing them and loving them," she said. "They're young, so you never get that time back when they're little."
It seems the Gossip Girl star's wishes have been answered for now as she enjoyed some down time with her little ones. "Helena learned to ride her bike in the park yesterday," she added to The View hosts. "So it was really exciting."