Former Real Housewives of Orange County star Meghan King has broken her silence through emotional social media posts after losing physical custody of her three children to ex-husband Jim Edmonds following a Child Protective Services investigation.
Cryptic Social Media Messages Surface After Court Decision
The 41-year-old reality television personality, who now works as a real estate advisor in Ladue, Missouri, posted a photograph of a bumper sticker stating 'Big fan of human rights' to her Instagram Story on Sunday. She tagged her location as Kirkwood, Missouri, just outside her hometown of St. Louis.
Less than twenty-four hours later, King shared a heartfelt birthday tribute to her eldest child, Aspen, who celebrated her ninth birthday. 'The brightest light, my greatest joy. A spectacular gift from God was born 9 years ago today,' she wrote alongside a smiling photograph of her daughter, whom she described as her 'favorite female to ever walk the planet.'
Child Protective Services Investigation Reveals Medication Allegations
The emotional social media activity comes just days after reports confirmed that King temporarily lost custody of her children following a Child Protective Services inquiry. According to sources speaking with Page Six, the investigation was triggered by allegations that King had administered prescription medication to her son Hayes on multiple occasions without proper medical authorisation.
An insider claimed that King gave Hayes Ritalin, a medication typically prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, despite the child never having received an official diagnosis for the condition. Us Weekly first reported that Child Protective Services became involved after a staff member at the children's elementary school contacted authorities, allegedly after King requested that a school nurse administer the medication to Hayes.
Page Six further reported that Edmonds and his current wife, Kortnie, were in Tennessee when Child Protective Services contacted them about the situation. The couple immediately flew to Missouri to be with the children following the notification.
Current Custody Arrangement and Future Proceedings
Under the current temporary arrangement, Jim Edmonds now holds sole physical custody of all three children. King has reportedly been granted supervised visitation rights twice per week. A temporary restraining order has also been issued by the court.
A crucial court hearing has been scheduled for December 9 to determine whether the current custody arrangement should become permanent. The hearing will likely consider evidence from the Child Protective Services investigation and other relevant factors before making a final decision.
The Daily Mail has reached out to King's representatives for comment regarding the situation. Edmonds' representative has declined to comment on the ongoing legal matter.
Former Co-Star Defends King's Character as a Mother
Former Real Housewives of Orange County co-star Kelly Dodd appeared to confirm the custody situation in a TikTok video posted on Thursday, revealing that she had spoken directly with King following the initial reports. 'So I just got off the phone with Meghan King Edmonds,' Dodd stated in her video. 'And she said that she gave one of her other twins Hayes some Ritalin, I guess, and it made her a "dangerous mother."'
Despite acknowledging past conflicts between them, Dodd strongly defended King's character as a parent. 'We've had a lot of differences... but she loves those babies, she loves those kids, and I know for a fact she's a good mother,' Dodd insisted. 'She is an excellent mother.'
Dodd added that she was praying for her former co-star and encouraged her followers to do the same, captioning her video with hashtags including '#meghanking' and '#prayers'.
History of Conflict Between Former Couple
This latest custody dispute follows a series of public disagreements between King and Edmonds. Earlier this year, police were called to Edmonds' home after King allegedly refused to leave the property, highlighting the ongoing tension between the former partners.
King and Edmonds married in 2014 and finalised their divorce in 2021 after five years of marriage. Edmonds later married former Playboy model Kortnie O'Connor in 2022, just two months after his divorce from King was officially completed.
The former couple has also publicly disagreed about their son Hart's medical diagnosis. King has stated that Hart has cerebral palsy, while Edmonds maintains the child has periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a condition involving brain white matter damage.
Following her divorce from Edmonds, King was briefly married to lawyer Cuffe Biden Owens, nephew of President Joe Biden, in 2021. The marriage ended after just two months and was formally annulled in July 2022.
In addition to daughter Aspen, King shares seven-year-old twin sons Hart and Hayes with Edmonds, who is now 55 years old. The custody arrangement remains temporary until the December court hearing determines the permanent arrangement for the three children.
