Today, in a big Canadian city with dozens of ethnic groups and countless mixed-race couples, he is unlikely to attract so much as a raised eyebrow. The court also heard that Mr. Edwards, married with two daughters, "leads a 'glamorous' lifestyle in which he frequently indulges in extramarital sex.". By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The pair had an affair that produced a son, Elijah. "My wife Kimberly went through every expectant parent's . Facebook gives people the. He said she was a loving mother whose bond with Elijah far surpassed anything Mr. Edwards could offer. He was a married father playing the guard position for the Grizzlies, while Van de Perre was a young beauty who had a special interest in sports athletes. She said she felt no sense of victory, only relief tempered by the knowledge of what her son has endured. REUTERS/Andy Clark AC. Little angel., Kimberly concluded: But yeah, Im not really ready to talk further about everything yet, but at some point I will.. Learn more about how you can collaborate with us. 338,740,101 stock photos, 360 panoramic images, vectors and videos, Share Alamy images with your team and customers. It is even less obvious that Elijah should be encouraged to "nurture his identity as a person of colour." 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As he grows up, Elijah will have to grapple with his mixed heritage. The Dawsons Creek alum, 42, and Kimberly are parents to Gwendolyn, 16 months, Emilia, 3, Annabel Leah, 5, and Olivia, 9, plus big brother Joshua, 7. Copyright 02/03/2023 Alamy Ltd. All rights reserved. The father, Theodore (Blue) Edwards, is black, and is a former Vancouver Grizzlies player who lives with his wife in North Carolina. We decided to put ourselves out there not knowing what wed find in an effort to chip away at any senseless stigma around this experience and to encourage people who might be going through it to open themselves up to love & support from friends and family when they need it most, the actor added. He was a married father playing for the Vancouver Grizzlies and began an 18-month affair that produced their son. Sorry, this image isnt available for license in your territory. In an unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the trial judge's ruling to award custody of Edwards' four-year-old son to his mother, Kimberly Van de Perre. This article was published more than 21 years ago. On Mondays episode of Dancing with the Stars, James said in a video package: My wife Kimberly and I went through every expecting parents worst nightmare. At the end of the day, much to my surprise, Van De Perre emerged from the shadows. She admitted she initially had qualms about seeing her life story reflected in film, but the cast, crew and writers allayed her fears. All you know is that it brings you closer together, it breaks you open, it opens up your heart, it deepens your appreciation, he said. "He is charismatic, entertaining. The judgement on Friday gives a little more stability for Elijah, who was making a seven-hour flight between Van de Perre's home in Vancouver and Edwards' residence in Charlotte, N.C. every three weeks until he developed inner-ear problems due to the frequent flying. 2023 Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. At the time of the interview, he was 11, thriving and doing well in school. Follow us on Twitter: @globedebateOpens in a new window. The rights to Van De Perre's life story also had to be obtained from her. The court should treat him as such, and leave race out of it. Custody case involves race, top court told, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Before he announced the devastating news on DWTS, Kimberly hinted at the tragedy on social media. She had been watching the film shooting. Weve been through this before, but never this late in the pregnancy, and never accompanied by such a scary, horrific threat to @vanderkimberly and her well-being., Grateful that shes now recovering, but weve only just begun unpacking the layers of this one, he continued. His custody battle over son Elijah, 3, with. ", In playing Beverly Rivers, Okuma faced the challenge of playing a character who is a rock but who is also experiencing pain. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. ", The judgment quoted Mrs. Edwards as saying that Ms. Van de Perre "couldn't teach him what it's going to be like to be black, and how he is going to be seen in the world as being black And reading books won't help.". When Elijah was three months old, Ms. Van de Perre began proceedings for custody and child support, naming Edwards as the father of the child. "Where I grew up, our culture is made up of many people. The case touched off a debate about race and child custody, and several Canadian organizations the African Canadian Legal Clinic, the Association of Black Social Workers and the Jamaican Canadian Association acted as intervenors in the Supreme Court case. She won custody of Elijah after a 26-day trial,. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Van De Perre was branded "poor white trash" and a gold digger. Justice in this case should be colour-blind. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Copyright 2001 Globe Interactive, a division of Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. A little over a decade ago, Kimberly Van De Perre, a former hotel receptionist from Coquitlam and a basketball "groupie" given to having affairs with players, met Grizzlie basketball player Theodore (Blue) Edwards in a sports bar. Edwards and Van de Perre have been locked in a bitter, and public, custody battle since the child was 15 months old. tap here to see other videos from our team, Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account and fewer ads, Get exclusive access to the National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on, Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists, Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists, Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword, Access articles from across Canada with one account, Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments, Get email updates from your favourite authors. Happily, for us this time we walked out [of the ultrasound appointment] with tears of joy., RELATED VIDEO: James Van Der Beek Opens Up About Expecting Sixth Child After Heartbreaking Miscarriages, During that nights episode of DWTS, Van Der Beek told PEOPLE that revealing the news on the reality competition show was thrilling and that they decided to get Kimberlys first ultrasound on camera, to open it up and allow people to go through the experience good result or not good result., Its a part of life, he continued. She has an excellent social support network, and has, in my opinion, been the 'rock' that has allowed her children to adjust so well to a rather hectic lifestyle. Edwards and his wife Valerie have twin daughters. My wife Kimberly and I went through every expecting parents worst nightmare. They engaged in an 18-month affair that produced Elijah. Read more about cookies here. A Canadian court should have no part of it. Peter Battistoni, Vancouver Sun Blue Edwards and his wife, Valerie Edwards, now live in North Carolina. "It was the easiest sell of my career," said Newbery on a visit to the set during one of the last days of shooting. "That's something no child should ever have to know about, let along understand.". Court of Appeal said that "it would obviously be in his interests to live with a parent or family who can nurture his identity as a person of colour and who can appreciate and understand the day-to-day realities that black people face in North American society -- including racism and discrimination in various forms.". If they are wise, they will teach him to judge others by the content of their character, not the colour of their skin. The story was right for a film. Theres a weird stigma that might still exist around it things like that is when you need your family and friends.. Van de Perre won custody of Elijah during the initial 26-day trial, but that decision was overturned one year later as the British Court of Appeals decided to hand him over to Edwards and his wife, Valerie, citing a better family situation. Grateful that shes now recovering, but weve only just begun unpacking the layers of this one. Then Blue had his actual wife step in and testify to the court of appeals. Keeping these cuties happy as can be while I replenish at home.. Im pretty shocked. Court of Appeal's ruling, saying that Elijah should live with his mother and that the appeal court did not have sufficient grounds to reverse the decision of the original trial judge. And also, dont be afraid to talk about [it]. Devastated. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. First the mother had him. Yet . The Court of Appeal for British Columbia awarded Theodore "Blue" Edwards, a former NBA player with the Grizzlies, and his wife custody of Elijah, Mr. Edwards' three-year-old son. The battle for custody started when Elijah was three months old. Several black associations intervening in the case supported Mr. Edwards's claim that since Elijah will be seen as black, it is vital for him to be raised in a milieu that will further his identification with black culture. Which is why in a time like this its enough to know that youre there. He was ordered to make a lump-sum payment. This article was published more than 18 years ago. Available for editorial use only. First the mother had him. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Edwards earned millions as a pro-basketball star, while Van de Perre is a hotel receptionist. Their son, Elijah, was born in June, 1997. "He hasn't had a consistent home and he's had to really grow up," she said. Which is not a story that has been told, but at some point I can dig into the details with you guys about what happened in the emergency room., And James got eliminated from Dancing with the Stars, she added. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Over the next 2 years there was much back and forth. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. I make that finding based upon my assessment of him and because of his propensity to seek out places where there are known to be young women who are 'star-struck' with professional athletes. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. I just focus on the present. The court judgment says Ms. Van de Perre at first told a psychologist she had had sex with only one other basketball player besides Mr. Edwards, and he "was like a superstar.". Edwards, 35, met Van de Perre, 27, five years ago in a Vancouver sports-bar. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. View the profiles of people named Kim Van de Perre. ", The challenge, said Cross, was "to stay true to the story but also show the audience this isn't just a bad guy who is a philanderer. The two met in a Vancouver bar in 1996 and began an 18-month affair. Kimberly Van de Perre, the mother of a young son, lost custody of the child to her former lover. In making their decision, the three appeal court judges weighed the importance of having a child growing up with a family of the same racial background: They decided that the boy, who has a white mother and a black father, would always be perceived as "being black" because of his skin colour. He doesn't express that he feels he is lacking any kind of a relationship, although he is a young boy and they tend not to speak too openly.". The mother, Kimberly Van de Perre, is white, and had an affair Mr. Edwards that began in 1996. Obviously? Edwards' wife, Valerie, is described as the rock of the family and helps look after their twin daughters, now 11. For example, it is my impression that she minimizes the extent to which she goes out to nightclubs. It said that while she was making an effort to be a good mother, "her needs for status, admiration, and attention remain and may result in her acting out in ways which are not in Elijah's best interest. It is not obvious at all that a boy who appears to be black would be better off in the racially divided American South than he would be in multicultural Vancouver. But she later told the court she was more sexually active than she had previously revealed. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. "This means an end to an awful, awful aspect of (Elijah's) life.". Edwards, who is black, met model Van de Perre, who is white, on the West Coast in 1996 and the two had an 18-month affair. Edwards responded initially by seeking joint custody and liberal access, but later changed . Copyright Southam Inc. "National Post Online is a production of Southam Inc., Canada's largest publisher of daily newspapers. To the side is a picture of the real Kimberly and Elijah. She stated she has other male friends on other NBA teams, although when they come to town, she stated she is 'like the tour guide,' helping them to find places where they can 'meet cute chicks.' Then moving to Vancouver, there weren't a lot of black families in our neighbourhood. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Mrs. Edwards was questioned on the witness stand about how many more affairs she could tolerate. The B.C. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Yet thanks to the courts, his skin colour and his race may determine where he lives and who he grows up with. mother in her custody battle with her child's father, a married, former basketball star. When Elijah was three months old, Ms. Van de Perre began proceedings for custody and child support, naming Edwards as the father of the child. Through the love of a child, she finds herself. Van de Perre and Edwards decided to pursue things between themselves and she gave birth to their son Elijah in June of 1997. ", The Appeal Court also dealt with the delicate issue of race, noting that while Elijah was the son of a black man and a white woman, his dark skin colour meant that he would always be perceived as "being black. It doesn't hurt that the producers managed to bring on board Desperate Housewives star Doug Savant. That way, he would avoid cultural confusion and learn to identify with his black heritage. And the Supreme Court of Canada has simply affirmed again that custody cases should not be tampered with, so to speak, unless there is some overriding and compelling error made by a trial judge," Mr. Mansfield said. Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries. "Just his little face. Supreme Court justice, awarded full custody to Ms. Van de Perre last year, he dismissed Mrs. Edwards as being peripheral to the issue, saying the central question was whether the child would be better off with his natural mother or father. More about how you can collaborate with us sorry, this image isnt for! Website uses cookies to personalize your content ( including ads ), and allows us to analyze traffic. Grow up, our culture is made up of many people grateful that shes now,., is white, and allows us to analyze our traffic on social.. M5W 1E6 by seeking joint custody and liberal access, but this Video has failed to.! 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