During the affair with Kimberly, she became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy named Elijah, in June 1997. Although Van Der Beek admitted that he didnt think hed be dancing on Monday evening, he chose to compete for Kimberly, who pushed him to continue in the competition. In Friday's ruling, the Supreme Court disagreed with the Appeal Court's assessment, saying it was wrong to highlight race as an issue in the case. 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. SCOC ruled in favour of a single mother in her custody battle with the child's father, a married former basketball star. It arrives at a critical time when, in the highly publicized and controversial case of Elijah Van de Perre, the son of a white mother and black father in British Columbia, the Supreme Court of Canada has just granted custody to Elijah's mother, Kimberly Van de Perre. Van De Perre was working for an insurance brokerage firm. It was a bitter custody battle that lasted three years, but in the end Canada's top court decided that Theodore (Blue) Edwards' son would be better off with his mother. 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. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. In shock. Peter Battistoni, Vancouver Sun Blue Edwards and his wife, Valerie Edwards, now live in North Carolina. They engaged in an 18-month affair that produced Elijah. The mother, Kimberly Van de Perre, is white, and had an affair Mr. Edwards that began in 1996. As his mother points out, he has "two sets of roots. The Appeal Court judges said Judge Warren focused too much on Mr. Edwards' promiscuity, and not enough on his abilities as a parent. "She has seen her husband go through this before but never has it hit as close to home for her as seeing a child that is fathered by her husband.". CANADA-RACE - RTR15NZ8 KIMBERLY VAN DE PERRE WITH SON ELIJAH AFTER BITTER CUSTODY BATTLE WITH NBA STAR. Elijah is the son of Kimberley Van de Perre and Theodore "Blue" Edwards. That's not our heritage, we're strong, black women. The two biological parents have been fighting over Elijah since a 26-day custody trial began in . "I am extremely relieved, and I am surprised, I am feeling really tired. Captions are provided by our contributors. What kept her going was Elijah. Sensing her apprehension, Elijah was initially concerned about a film being made about him, but Van De Perre said he is okay with it now. Kimberly Van de Perre talks with her four-year-old son Elijah, September 28, 2001, following news the Supreme Court of Canada gave her custody of her son after a bitter fight with ex-NBA star Theodore (Blue) Edwards. But there needs to be zero shame around it, or around giving yourself the time and space to grieve, James wrote. 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. Mr. Edwards and his backers claim that because society will view Elijah as black, he would be better off living with his black father in a black environment. Van De Perre's character becomes Nicole Alpern, Blue Edwards becomes Ty Rivers and his wife, Valerie, becomes Beverly Rivers. "Just his little face. Then moving to Vancouver, there weren't a lot of black families in our neighbourhood. During Mondays Dancing with the Stars semifinals episode, Van Der Beek announced that Kimberly suffered a miscarriage over the weekend. It perhaps perfectly encapsulated the tug of love felt by the biological mother, played by Jennifer Finnigan, and the wife of the philandering basketball player, played by Nigerian-born Enuka Okuma. Edwards, 35, met Van de Perre, 27, five years ago in a Vancouver sports-bar. The couple have been through miscarriages before, as James explained on Instagram back in October, when he went public with her pregnancy. While on set, I asked questions about Kimberly Van De Perre and her son, Elijah. Over the next 2 years there was much back and forth. This article was published more than 18 years ago. Edwards, 35, met Van de Perre, 27, five years ago in a Vancouver sports-bar. More Than My Normal': My Body Has Been Through 'So Much', James Van Der Beek Opens Up About Expecting 6th Child After Heartbreaking Miscarriages, from friends and family when they need it most. Last year, the British Columbia Court of Appeal awarded custody to Edwards, a former basketball player with the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Jamaican-born Roger Cross, who plays Ty, took time out for an interview between shoots. That way, he would avoid cultural confusion and learn to identify with his black heritage. What was their connection to the film? Even during the height of this trial he was not able to stay away from restaurants and nightclubs while his wife and children went east to be with her dying father.". He was ordered to make a lump-sum payment. The Supreme Court of Canada has overturned a B.C. Edwards was a known philanderer who had repeated extra-marital affairs that he tried to conceal from his wife, Valerie Edwards, and their twin daughters. Canada during the summer of 2001. Extra thankful right now to have help with my kids. The Appeal Court, however, considered the overall family situation -- and decided that Mrs. Edwards was an emotional "rock" who was able to provide a stabler environment. Getting the $4.7-million film, Playing For Keeps, off the ground wasn't quite so easy. Like his father, he is very athletic. Here was that synopsis: Really Blue? Thats how were feeling right now after the soul we thought were going to welcome into our family in April has taken a short cut to whatever lies beyond this life. The father, Theodore (Blue) Edwards, is black, and is a former Vancouver Grizzlies player who lives with his wife in North Carolina. I dont know how you do it. As many of you have said, There are no words and its true. She won custody of Elijah after a 26-day trial,. Director Gary Harvey said that rather than being about a legal case, the film is about the growth of a woman from a groundless, directionless lifestyle. Now they are fighting for custody and, somehow, race has become an important issue. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Kimberly, I love you. Through a love story that turns bad, she grows up. Available for editorial use only. As he grows up, Elijah will have to grapple with his mixed heritage. First the mother had him. They moved back to be closer to family and friends, particularly Elijah's grandparents, whom he is close to. A trial judge initially awarded Van de Perre sole custody of Elijah, but the British Columbia Court of Appeal reversed that decision. I wasn't willing to give him up. "I mean I'm sure my mother had problems, 30 years, I'm sure she had problems, but she did not walk away. Amazingly, British Columbia's highest court agreed. At the end of the day, much to my surprise, Van De Perre emerged from the shadows. For us, thankfully, we also have three rainbow babies. mother in her custody battle with her child's father, a married, former basketball star. 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. James and Kimberly are parents to Gwendolyn, 16 months, Emilia, 3, Annabel Leah, 5, and Olivia, 9, plus big brother Joshua, 7. Custody case involves race, top court told, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Five kids. This article was published more than 21 years ago. ", The Appeal Court judges considered a statement from a psychologist who described Mrs. Edwards as "an energetic woman who is fiercely loyal and devoted to her family and husband. Edwards, 35, met Van de Perre, 27, five years ago in a Vancouver sports-bar. Before he announced the devastating news on DWTS, Kimberly hinted at the tragedy on social media. Jen Juneau is a digital news writer for PEOPLE since 2016. She admitted she initially had qualms about seeing her life story reflected in film, but the cast, crew and writers allayed her fears. Pfft. If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is. The case dealt with issues of race, wealth and lifestyle. In his own eyes, he is simply a boy. Which is why in a time like this its enough to know that youre there. "That's something no child should ever have to know about, let along understand.". 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. Unlike the original trial judge, the Appeal Court also put great importance on the strength of character of Valerie Edwards -- a woman who refused to let her marriage be torn apart despite her husband's affair with Ms. Van de Perre. Youre amazing., RELATED GALLERY: 30 Adorable Photos of James and Kimberly Van Der Beeks Ever-Growing Family, He further shared the tragic news on Instagram, writing, Wrecked. Here's the response: Not to start controversy either but Blue Edwards looks half-white to begin with; his skin color is light. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. He is the son of the appellant and Mr. Edwards. During Monday's Dancing with the Stars semifinals episode . My wife Kimberly and I went through every expecting parents worst nightmare. He brings a lot of energy to a scene.". ", Ms. Van de Perre was not the only one playing the field. The little soul that we had expected to welcome into our family took a shortcut to whatever lies beyond., You never know why these things happen, thats what Ive been telling my kids. In shock. VANCOUVER and OTTAWA - Kimberly Van de Perre, a former beauty queen, won a protracted custody battle against former NBA player Theodore "Blue" Edwards, in which race, sexual morality and money all became issues. 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. 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.. "I think it's important for the moral of the story, which is never give up. I just focus on the present. She agreed. At the time of the interview, he was 11, thriving and doing well in school. 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