Edwards' wife, Valerie, is described as the rock of the family and helps look after their twin daughters, now 11. All you know is that it brings you closer together, it breaks you open, it opens up your heart, it deepens your appreciation, said Van Der Beek. 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. 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. That's not our heritage, we're strong, black women. 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. Today Elijah is not a black boy, or a white boy, or a mixed-race boy. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Celtics beat the Sixers 110-107 in Philly, Video: Behind the scenes with Joe Mazzulla, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum at All-Star weekend, Video: Jaylen Brown talks Celtics win and disrespectful 76ers fans, Celtics post All-Star break betting preview. It was a controversial case, as the Canadian Supreme Court not only had to determine Elijah's best interests, but weed through a lot of issues, including the role of race, wealth and the benefits of the two-parent versus single-parent families. Van de Perre, 27, is a high school dropout who has worked as a hotel receptionist. He also said that Van de Perre and her friends were demeaning of Edwards' African-American makeup. Blue Edwards, the former Vancouver Grizzlies basketball star, has been ordered to pay more than $300,000 in child support by the B.C. Ms. Van de Perre, who is white, is a former beauty queen who lives in Vancouver. Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries. And it disagreed with the Appeal Court's negative assessment of Van de Perre's parental ability and situation. So couldn't the kid have remained with the mother? Court of Appeal ruled he was better off with the family of his father, millionaire basketball player Blue Edwards, who could raise him in a black cultural environment in the United States. She has an excellent social support network, and has, in my opinion, been the 'rock' that has allowed her children to adjust so well to a rather hectic lifestyle. When Elijah was three months old, Ms. Van de Perre began proceedings for custody and child support, naming Edwards as the father of the child. Join Facebook to connect with Kim Van de Perre and others you may know. ", The challenge, said Cross, was "to stay true to the story but also show the audience this isn't just a bad guy who is a philanderer. Like his father, he is very athletic. Published on November 18, 2019 09:54 PM. Edwards, on the other hand, is black and earned millions over 10 years playing professional basketball in the NBA. Jen Juneau is a digital news writer for PEOPLE since 2016. The judge felt that because of that, Elijah's well-being would be threatened at some time in the future by a marital breakdown. Edwards and Van de Perre have been locked in a bitter, and public, custody battle since the child was 15 months old. tap here to see other videos from our team, Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account and fewer ads, Get exclusive access to the National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on, Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists, Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists, Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword, Access articles from across Canada with one account, Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments, Get email updates from your favourite authors. The father, Theodore (Blue) Edwards, is black, and is a former Vancouver Grizzlies player who lives with his wife in North Carolina. Search for stock images, vectors and videos. Before he announced the devastating news on DWTS, Kimberly hinted at the tragedy on social media. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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 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. Kimberly Van de Perre is all smiles with her four-year-old son Elijah, September 28, 2001, following news the Supreme Court of Canada giving her custody of her son after a bitter fight with ex-NBA star Theodore (Blue) Edwards. Sorry, this image isnt available for license in your territory. Kimberly Van de Perre is all smiles with her four-year-old son Elijah, September 28, 2001, following news the Supreme Court of Canada giving her custody of her son after a bitter fight with ex-NBA star Theodore (Blue) Edwards. Theres a weird stigma that might still exist around it things like that is when you need your family and friends.. To the side is a picture of the real Kimberly and Elijah. The mother, Kimberly Van de Perre, is white, and had an affair Mr. Edwards that began in 1996. In making their decision, the three appeal court judges weighed the importance of having a child growing up with a family of the same racial background: They decided that the boy, who has a white mother and a black father, would always be perceived as "being black" because of his skin colour. Elijah was the result. But wait apparently someone asked him how the hell this happened. Court of Appeal reversed that ruling a year ago, giving the Mr. Edwards and his wife custody and Ms. Van de Perre generous access, which meant that Elijah travelled between Vancouver and North Carolina regularly. The father, Theodore (Blue) Edwards, is black, and is a former Vancouver Grizzlies player who lives with his wife in North Carolina. Mr. Edwards, who is black,. Read more about cookies here. Their union was damaged by the revelation of Mr. Edwards' affair with Ms. Van de Perre. Ms. Van de Perre, who is white, is a former beauty queen who lives in Vancouver. 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. 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Here's the response: Not to start controversy either but Blue Edwards looks half-white to begin with; his skin color is light. She won custody of Elijah after a 26-day trial,. 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. As many of you have said, There are no words and its true. What followed was a protracted custody battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court. The original trial judge had awarded custody to Ms. Van de Perre. A Canadian court should have no part of it. I just focus on the present. Custody case involves race, top court told, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. It really didn't matter to us. Five kids. Edwards, 35, met Van de Perre, 27, five years ago in a Vancouver sports-bar. 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. A trial judge initially awarded Van de Perre sole custody of Elijah, but the British Columbia Court of Appeal reversed that decision. Court of Appeal said that "it would obviously be in his interests to live with a parent or family who can nurture his identity as a person of colour and who can appreciate and understand the day-to-day realities that black people face in North American society -- including racism and discrimination in various forms.". If he is like most children his age, skin colour means as little to him as eye colour and race is something he simply never thinks about. It would certainly be naive to assume that Elijah would not encounter problems or racial prejudice at some point in his life in this country," state the judges, who noted that the Edwards family had returned to the southern United States. Jump to. "My wife Kimberly went through every expectant parent's . Van de Perre, who is white, is a single high-school dropout who works part-time as a hotel receptionist and collects $3,500 a month in child support. Grieving AND counting our blessings today.. We had whites. Start your day with Sunrise, a roundup of B.C. Now Hill, himself a child of a black father and white mother, brings us Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black . What kept her going was Elijah. I just did what I had to do.". ", Ms. Van de Perre was not the only one playing the field. 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. The court heard that the 24-year-old former beauty queen had met Mr. Edwards, who at the time was making $2-million a year playing for the Grizzlies, while she was cruising Vancouver's nightclub scene. Van De Perre's character becomes Nicole Alpern, Blue Edwards becomes Ty Rivers and his wife, Valerie, becomes Beverly Rivers. She said she felt no sense of victory, only relief tempered by the knowledge of what her son has endured. "I am extremely relieved, and I am surprised, I am feeling really tired. 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. He is a human being and he got caught in a situation where a stronger man would have said 'No' but he indulged himself and as a result, this beautiful boy was brought into the world. 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. Edwards responded initially by seeking joint custody and liberal access, but later changed . Elijah is the son of Kimberley Van de Perre and Theodore "Blue" Edwards. Getting the $4.7-million film, Playing For Keeps, off the ground wasn't quite so easy. We lost the baby. If his parents are smart, they will encourage him to explore both sides, but not to be imprisoned by either. In real life, the story of Van De Perre and Edwards was messier than a back-country bar fight. Audiences watched as Van Der Beek danced a touching Foxtrot to Hoziers Take Me to Church. After his performance, Van Der Beek wept as pro partner Emma Slater embraced him on the ballroom floor. To me, Elijah looks half-black and half-white, so I don't see how Edwards' wife could've played that race-card. "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.". Mr. Edwards, who is black, is a former star of the National Basketball Association who resides in North Carolina with his wife and twin daughters. In a judgment that overturned a lower court and awarded custody of Elijah to Mr. Edwards, at least partly on the grounds of race, the B.C. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Over the next 2 years there was much back and forth. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Edwards will still have visitation rights to his son. 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. "And there was no reason to intervene in that decision by the Court of Appeal. Kimberly Van Der Beek suffered a miscarriage one month after she and James Van Der Beek announced that they were expecting baby No. ", 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. I hope that it inspires someone somewhere." It really helps to go through when you have the support of friends and family. I dont even know how Im going to begin to respond to it all so I think Ill just have to do it here., In 48 hours we lost our baby boy, by the way and I almost lost my life, she revealed. 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