Gossip Girl Star Wins Custody Battle

Best known for playing Serena van der Woodsen's mother on Gossip Girl, actress Kelly Rutherford will at last be reunited with her own two small children. The star and ex-husband Daniel Giersch have been embroiled in a prolonged custody battle over 8-year-old son Hermes and 5-year-old daughter Helena. The children had been living with their father in Monaco since 2012, but that will change thanks to a California judge's ruling. People reports that Rutherford was granted sole legal and physical custody of her children on Friday. The kids are due to be returned to Los Angeles, with Rutherford having control of their passports. "We are ecstatic, and hopeful that Monaco will respect the California court's ruling and send the children home," her lawyer, Wendy Murphy, told the magazine. "It has long been our position that Monaco has no jurisdiction because Hermes and Helena, as American citizens, have an absolute right to live in their own country. If the citizenship shoe were on the other foot and these children were citizens of Monaco, I have no doubt the United States would respect their right to reside in Monaco.  "Monaco officials know that sending the children back to America is the right thing to do. I'm looking forward to the happy reunion of the children not only with their mother, but also with their country!"    Rutherford had recently circulated a petition supporting her right to regain custody. Last week she revealed that her ex had refused to let her see their children unless she handed over their passports.