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The actor opens up about the "dangerous" and "disturbing" claims made against him, while his estranged wife asserts her actions were "strategic" to regain custody of their children.
Scott Wolf is speaking out for the first time since his divorce filing in June, releasing an exclusive statement to PEOPLE about what he calls "deeply disturbing and entirely false allegations" made against him by his estranged wife, Kelley Wolf.
Wolf provided text messages he says were from Kelley, in which she reportedly told him she planned to "make claims" against him—such as "psychological abuse, child abuse, child endangerment"—to gain an advantage in their custody dispute.
"Although her claims are completely baseless and incredibly dangerous, the worst part is that they are traumatic for our children," Wolf said in his statement.
In her own statement to PEOPLE, Kelley did not deny the allegations were part of a strategy. She said, "I've lost my career, my reputation, my children... As a parent, I have literally lost everything except my life. I've done everything strategic, and I'm hopeful for my children." She also clarified, "I will be very clear when I say this: I don't believe that Scott would [abuse our children]."
The public statements come against a backdrop of legal and personal turmoil. In a July 15 temporary agreement, Scott was granted sole physical custody of the couple's three children, while Kelley was granted "liberal" supervised visitation. This agreement was reached after Scott was granted a temporary restraining order in June. Following the split, Kelley was also placed on two separate involuntary psychiatric holds.
Making false claims during a child custody dispute is a serious matter with significant legal consequences. Courts have little patience for a parent who weaponizes the legal system to gain an advantage.
According to family law attorney Ryan R. Bauerle of Goranson Bain Ausley, "A 'false allegation' is exactly what it sounds like – a parent knowingly lies in a custody case attempting to harm the other parent's reputation or influence the court's decision." Bauerle adds that while such accusations can initially create challenges for the accused, they often backfire. "It will be very difficult for an accuser to provide considerable evidence to support their claims, since they're untrue."
This is why the trustworthiness of each parent is so crucial to a family court judge. A parent who is proven to have fabricated abuse claims may be seen as a threat to the child's emotional well-being and their relationship with the other parent. As a result, the court can penalize the accuser with a loss of custody, restricted visitation, or even an order to pay the other party's legal fees.
