Kelly Rutherford reunited with her kids in the U.S.: 'It's emotional'

Kelly Rutherford's very public custody battle has taken a positive turn as she was finally reunited with her two children on Friday on U.S. soil after three years of them living abroad with her ex husband Daniel Giersch. The actress was seen playing in a park with 8-year-old Hermes and 6-year-old Helena in New York and later opened up on The View to discuss emotional reunion.

"It's incredible, it's emotional. We're all a little jet-lagged – but happy," she said on Monday's show. "I think what people don't understand is that this is a victory for me. Previously their father only let me see them 11 days this year in Europe."

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Kelly was finally reunited with her kids on U.S. soil Photo: Instagram/@kellyrutherford

This moment comes after she recently attended a court hearing in Monaco where a judge allowed her to bring her son and daughter to the United States after losing custody in 2012 and going bankrupt trying to win them back.

"The last time I was there, the kids were expecting to see me, and [Giersch] said unless you hand over the U.S. passports you can't see them," Kelly added. "They were sent here temporarily to give him time to work on his visa. I have a letter from the State Department that, as of today, he has made no effort to get a visa reinstated or come back to this country, so the burden is now put on my kids and the U.S. citizens who are accommodating someone who is making no effort and who now is trying to get full custody in a foreign country."

The actress created the Children's Justice Campaign to help other families Photo: Getty Images


Aside from the big legal moments in the 46-year-old's life, she revealed to us in April that it was the every day moments she missed. "I miss dropping them off and picking them up from school. I miss the day-to-day and smelling them and kissing them and loving them," she told HELLO!. "They're young, so you never get that time back when they're little."

Kelly celebrated daughter Helena's belated birthday over the weekend Photo: Instagram/@kellyrutherford

It seems the Gossip Girl star's wishes have been answered for now as she enjoyed some down time with her children. "Helena learned to ride her bike in the park yesterday," she added The View hosts. "So it was really exciting."

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