Christina Ricci defied the odds and embarked on a delightful mother-son trip to Manhattan on Sunday.
This joyous outing took place despite the resistance from her ex-husband, who expressed reluctance in letting their son Frederick join the trip.
Christina, 43, gave her eight-year-old a taste of culinary luxury, treating him to the extravagant $195 Osetra caviar dish, served with potato rosti and crème fraîche, at chef Tom Colicchio's renowned restaurant, Craft. To complement the lavish spread, a refreshing watermelon mocktail was on hand for young Freddie.
Christina, who enjoys the attention of 1.6 million followers on Instagram, couldn't help but share a snap of her son enjoying the serene setting of one of Central Park's seven ponds.
© InstagramThe mother-son duo also made a trip to the legendary toy store FAO Schwarz, nestled within 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It was here that Freddie experienced the joy of the oversized foot piano, reminiscent of the iconic scene from Penny Marshall's 1988 comedy, Big.
The actress, born in California but raised in New Jersey, took to social media to announce their 'cool' souvenir from the trip - a $25 box of Marvin's Magic Snow. This non-toxic powder promises to expand a hundredfold when combined with water. Freddie's fun continued as he proudly posed with his 'giant' treat, a 3lb, 26in-long cherry/blue raspberry gummy worm, which packs in a whopping 4K calories.
In an episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show aired on May 8th, Christina shared her parenting approach. "If he tells me he can't do something or he can't pay attention or behave, I'm like, 'Listen, when I was your age I was working 12-hour days,'" she said.
© InstagramMORE: See this famous Hollywood couple's adorable brood of four kids
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Her stern words, however, often fell on deaf ears as Freddie complained, "'They're not nice to me. The coach yelled at me.'" Christina would retort, "Do you think everyone was nice to me when I working at your age?" Yet, she admitted, "It still doesn't work though. It doesn't matter."
Despite the joyous trip, a cloud loomed over as Christina’s ex-husband James 'Jimmy' Heerdegen allegedly disapproved of the New York visit as recently as June 19, referring to it as 'emotional abuse'.
The Yellowjackets star addressed his refusal in legal documents, stating: “Jimmy's refusal to agree causes me concern, because he clearly was being vindictive and retaliatory when he initially refused my request to travel for the additional dates.”
© Photo: Getty ImagesShe voiced her concerns further, saying: "I am concerned that if the hearing doesn't go Jimmy's way, he will renege. Jimmy's conduct is purposefully making me incur attorneys' fees unnecessarily and may have an impact on my employment and professional reputation."
However, during an emergency hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court, it was reported that the court ordered Heerdegen to attend therapy with the child and recommended co-parenting counselling for him and Christina.
© InstagramTheir marriage, which lasted six years, ended on a sour note in 2020, with Ricci receiving a restraining order against him due to alleged 'severe physical and emotional abuse'.
Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, Christina's second husband, the hairstylist-turned-husband Mark Hampton, was taking care of their adorable daughter, Cleopatra. The 38-year-old Welshman posted a charming breakfast snap of the 18-month-old toddler, along with a video of her frolicking in a kiddie pool.
Fans of the Independent Spirit Award nominee can look forward to more from Ricci, as Showtime recently renewed Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson's critically-acclaimed drama, Yellowjackets, for a third season.
Christina will also reprise her role in Tim Burton's spin-off series Wednesday, which has been officially renewed for a second season by Netflix. She's also set to lend her voice to the animated feature drama, Unplugged, and will appear in Michael Ryan's sci-fi heist film, The Dresden Sun.
