Actress Jaime King is facing fresh legal trouble after allegedly failing to pay more than $100,000 in fees to her ex-husband Kyle Newman’s divorce lawyers.
According to Us Weekly, the Hart of Dixie star has been ordered to appear in court and disclose her finances so that Newman’s former law firm, Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles, can collect the unpaid sum. The Los Angeles-based firm counts celebrity divorce lawyer Laura Wasser among its partners.
King, 46, was previously ordered in 2024 to pay $98,441.16 to the firm, along with interest of around $2,000. In May 2024, Judge Joshua D. Wayser ruled that, as the higher earner in the marriage, King should cover the fees within 30 days.
However, more than a year later, the firm claims they still haven’t been paid. Judge Shelley Kaufman has now ordered King to appear in court on September 16 — warning that she could face arrest if she fails to show up.
King’s Response
“This is the first time Jaime or her current legal team have been made aware of this filing,” King’s representatives told Page Six. They described the divorce as “unnecessarily aggressive,” saying the actress has endured “fear tactics and legal intimidation” while trying to protect her children.
“Jaime remains committed to the healing for her family, and moving forward with grace,” the statement added. “We respectfully ask for privacy and compassion during this time.”
Custody and Financial Setbacks
The latest court order comes just months after King lost physical custody of her sons James, 11, and Leo, 9, in March. She was also forced out of her Los Angeles home after failing to pay more than $42,000 in back rent.
Under the custody arrangement, King and Newman share legal custody, but the filmmaker has sole physical custody. King was granted supervised visitation three times a week and ordered to complete six months of drug and alcohol rehabilitation, weekly testing, a 26-week parenting program, and counseling sessions with her children.
Her custody terms were altered after she failed to finish the required rehabilitation program. In October 2024, Newman sought sole custody, claiming he found King “strung out” and “drunk” while caring for their sons.
A Long Divorce Battle
King filed for divorce in 2020 after 13 years of marriage, sparking a lengthy legal fight over custody and finances. The split was officially settled in 2023, but disputes have continued into 2025.
The actress, who recently got engaged, has yet to publicly comment beyond her representative’s statement. Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles has not responded to media requests.
