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Home and Away favourite locked in bitter transatlantic custody battle

There's no sign of a solution

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Back in March, former Home and Away star Melissa George revealed that she was embroiled in a bitter custody dispute with her husband, Jean David Blanc.

In a TV interview with Australian show Sunday Night she pleaded for Australia’s help to overturn a no fly order by a French court that prevented her and her sons two sons Raphaël and Solal from leaving the country.

During the chat she also claimed Jean had become emotionally and physically abusive during their five-year relationship – allegations that he vehemently denies.

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Now, four months on, the actress says “nothing has changed” and she and her boys still remain in Paris unable to leave.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, she says she is merely “surviving for my kids” as she continues to take on her estranged husband in the courts.

“Nothing is changed. Nothing is better,” she said, tears filling her eyes.

‘It’s just so tiring, I need all my strength to cook for my kids …

“I’m still fighting every day. It’s like putting a polar bear in the jungle — I don’t quite know how to survive, but I’m surviving for my kids.”

The actress, who has starred in Grey’s Anatomy and a host of horror films, hasn’t been able to work on a movie since June 2016 but she is hoping to return to Australia soon so she could get back to do what she does best.

‘I’ve had tonnes of offers,” she said hopefully.

“I’ve had the biggest offers of my career, and I just can’t take anything right now because I’m choosing to be a mother and that’s it.”

During the programme back in March, photographs were shown of Melissa’s bruised face which she claimed were the result of her husband allegedly pushing her head into a metal coat rack during an argument last September.

Jean, however, strongly denies the allegations of violence and said in a statement:

“I wish to answer once and for all to the inaccurate information given by Melissa George.

“The Paris Court decision consisting of a shared custody of our young children was based on very long and various social workers investigations as well as psychological examinations.

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“This decision was ruled by the Judge who considered only the best interest of our children. That does not prevent Mrs George from working, as she’s free to come and go to sets all over the world as she always did.

“As regards to our children’s interdiction to leave French territory without my prior authorisation, this decision, also ruled by the Judge, is the result of Melissa George’s attempt to secretly leave the country with our children without my consent… Regarding the supposed violence against Melissa George, I strongly contest it and have thus filed an appeal against the judgment, which is not final.

“I have always maintained that I had been attacked first and was only trying to protect myself. Melissa George was found guilty and charged for these offences.”


Christian Guiltenane
Freelance Writer

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