NEED TO KNOW
- In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Scott Wolf slams recent “disturbing and entirely false allegations” made by estranged wife Kelley
- In text messages reviewed by PEOPLE, Kelley told Scott she planned to “make claims” against him “such as psychological abuse, child abuse, child endangerment”
- Per a July 15 temporary stipulated agreement, Scott was granted temporary sole physical custody of his and Kelley’s three children
Scott Wolf is speaking out for the first time since announcing he filed for divorce from estranged wife Kelley Wolf in June.
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, the actor, 57, said his “continued hope is to have this most difficult chapter of our family’s lives remain as private as possible, however, the well being of my children is at stake, and that will always be my priority.”
“There are some significant challenges that are making our situation incredibly difficult and contentious, and it is tragic for all involved,” he continued. “I was informed of some deeply disturbing and entirely false allegations that were made about me by my estranged wife.”
In text messages reviewed by PEOPLE, Kelley, 48, appears to have told Scott that she planned to “make claims” against him, “such as psychological abuse, child abuse, child endangerment, stealing with passports.” She went on to make several of these claims in a 911 call to police on July 26, which was also reviewed by PEOPLE.
“I am now choosing to come forward and share that she has described to me her plans to ‘make claims’ about me, although she also admitted, ‘I do not believe they’re true,’ in order to gain an advantage in what she sees as a ‘battle’ in court, and in the court of public opinion,” Scott said. “In order to protect my kids, I am providing the text messages she sent to me where she describes this plan, so there are no questions about her intentions, or the malicious intent behind her false allegations made and/or planned for the future.”
In the messages, Kelley said she “was advised to make claims that are possible, even though I do not believe they’re true nor would I ever say them to anyone.”
Randall Michelson/WireImage
Kelley allegedly added, “when you accused me of all the things you put in the restraining order, you made me into a villain. The only way I can fight back is to produce claims that are either the same as yours or greater.” She explained she was acting to “create more urgency to get the kids back. Or at least get back joint custody.”
Scott said in his statement: “Although her claims are completely baseless and incredibly dangerous, the worst part is that they are traumatic for our children. I hope that anyone who might speak publicly or report on such things, will consider this before spreading any further information from a clearly unreliable and completely compromised source.”
Scott concluded his message saying “I continue to ask for privacy and respect for our family, and give thanks all those who have shown their love and support.”
PEOPLE reached out to Kelley for comment. “I will be very clear when I say this: I don’t believe that Scott would [abuse our children],” she said. “I’ve lost my career, my reputation, my children, my integrity, my honor, my devotion to my marriage. As a parent, I have literally lost everything except my life. I’ve done everything strategic, and I’m hopeful for my children.”
Scott’s statement comes weeks after the temporary restraining order he was granted against Kelley in June was dismissed and a new agreement in the former couple’s divorce proceedings was reached.
Reviewed by PEOPLE, the July 15 temporary stipulated agreement included provisions around custody, a temporary restraining order, visitation, finances and communication.
In the agreement, Scott was granted temporary sole physical custody of their three children Jackson, 16, Miller, 12, and Lucy, 11, while Kelley was granted “liberal” supervised visitation with the children.
It said Kelley is allowed supervised parenting time as coordinated by counsel, and three supervised video or phone calls per week with the children during reasonable waking hours. If the court-appointed guardian raises concerns, all parties must reevaluate whether supervision remains necessary. Kelley is also allowed to respond if the children initiate additional contact.
The agreement also included a social media gag order. It said neither party may post about one another, their marriage, children or the divorce, nor allow any third party to do so.
The ultimate goal, the agreement claimed, is for Kelley to eventually regain unsupervised parenting time.
Kelley Wolf/Instagram
Scott was granted his June temporary restraining order against Kelley after alleging she was engaging “in an escalating pattern of behavior that poses a substantial threat of immediate and irreparable harm to the parties’ minor children.”
At the time, Scott was also granted temporary sole and legal custody of their kids.
On June 13, three days after the longtime couple announced their split after 21 years together, Kelley was detained by police for “concerning” comments she made to her dad and others. She shared footage on Instagram of police arriving at her residence and taking her to the hospital.
Kelley was detained and handcuffed by sheriffs in Utah County, Utah, and was admitted to a local hospital, PEOPLE confirmed.
Kelley later confirmed she was placed under an “involuntary 5150,” which is “a critical intervention used to detain individuals who are considered a danger to themselves or others or are gravely disabled due to a mental disorder,” per the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
On July 6, Kelley was placed on a second involuntary psychiatric hold following an alleged incident involving a knife. She was held for a week at a treatment center in Salt Lake City.
The former pair first announced their split on June 10.
At the time, Scott called it “the most difficult decision of my life” in a statement to PEOPLE, as he emphasized that their main priority is their three children.
In a statement of her own, Kelley called Scott “one of the best fathers I’ve ever known and one of the best partners a woman could have the privilege of sharing life with.”
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The duo first met in 2002 and tied the knot two years later in 2004.
— Additional reporting by Danielle Bacher.