Due to his departure from "Grey's Anatomy," Jesse Williams wishes to have his $40,000 monthly child support payments to his ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee reduced. No amount was specified, but he said this needs to happen because his weekly income was significantly affected as he left "Grey's Anatomy."

Page Six was granted access to court paperwork filed last Thursday by the actor, 40, in which he requested that child support be reduced to a fair level that he could pay given his dramatic fall in income and the changing nature of his income.

In May 2021, after 12 seasons on the ABC medical drama, Williams announced his departure and is currently starring in the Broadway production of Richard Greenberg's play "Take Me Out."

He stated in the filings that he presently earns $1,668 per week, compared to a total income of $6.2 million and $183,000 in residuals from "Grey's Anatomy."


Williams said that the successful television show was the "main source of income for [his] family" and that he is unable to afford the large monthly cost that has accrued since leaving the show. He and his wife, Drake-Lee, 40, share shared custody of their two children, Sadie, 8, and Maceo, 6. Sadie is the older of the two children.

According to the statement, the child support of $40,000 per month ($480,000 per year) that began on October 1, 2019, was based almost exclusively on his recurring episodic earnings from "Grey's Anatomy," which was his principal source of income at the time of the filing.

"Child support was also based on my other sources of income which included my 'Grey's' residuals for shows I appeared in during the marriage, and after Aryn and I separated, as well as sporadic income from occasional smaller acting, endorsement or appearance work," he continued. "All of my additional sources of income were/are far less than my former episodic fees from 'Grey's.'"

Williams asserted that his children will be unaffected by the planned change since they had always maintained a "modest way of living."

He does not regret leaving the successful show though, despite the massive cut in his income.

His role as Dr. Jackson Avery was also a source of frustration for him, as it "represented almost 95 percent" of his acting portfolio.already and he felt it was vital that he broaden his body of work before it was "too late."

Williams and Drake-Lee split in April 2017, but it was not until October 2020 that they were able to complete their divorce. The former couple went through a rocky breakup and were even forced to attend "high-conflict" parenting sessions in April 2021, according to court documents.

Williams was working as a schoolteacher in New York City at the time of their first meeting. In September of 2012, they exchanged wedding vows.

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