At first glance, Hermès Gustaf Daniel Giersch seems like any other teenager – going to school, hanging out with friends, playing sports or video games. But scratch the surface and you’ll find a remarkable young man whose childhood was plagued by an intense transatlantic custody battle between his parents. This was what brought him to the public’s eye as the story captured international headlines. It’s since 2015 that the whole saga and we can’t help but wonder where Hermès Gustaf Daniel Giersch is today? Let’s find out!
Early Life
Hermès was born in October 2006 in Los Angeles in the United States. He is the son of Kelly Rutherford, an actress best known for her roles on Gossip Girl and Melrose Place, and her then-husband Daniel Giersch, a German businessman. Kelly Rutherford also starred in like Generations, Melrose Place, Scream, and many more.
Daniel Giersch on the other hand is a business tycoon who owned Terranet AG and Giersch Ventures. Giersch Ventures is an investment company that is helping businesses thrive financially, Terranet provides innovative solutions in the renewable energy industry.
Hermès Gustaf Daniel Giersch birth was just few months after the couple tied the knot. Those early years should have been idyllic for Hermès Gustaf Daniel Giersch, surrounded by doting parents in the California sunshine. Kelly was at the height of her career, while Daniel’s businesses allowed the family to split their time between Los Angeles and the French Riviera. But by 2009, storm clouds began gathering over the Rutherford-Giersch marriage. As at the time, kelly was already pregnant with their daughter. They welcome the Helena amidst the marital storm.
Custody Battle
Kelly and Daniel, who got married in 2006 decided to file for a divorce in 2010 after several years of marriage.
In 2012, a protracted and highly publicised international custody dispute erupted between Kelly and Daniel over their two children. Daniel had taken the children to live with him in Monaco and France, while Kelly remained in the United States. This led to a years-long legal battle over the children’s residency.
Ultimately in 2015, a California court awarded sole custody to Daniel Giersch, allowing Hermès and his sister to reside with their father in Monaco and France. Kelly Rutherford was granted regular visitation rights to see her children during holidays and breaks from school.
In a move that would significantly impact Hermès’ life, Daniel abruptly took the children to live with him in France in 2012 after his expat visa was revoked amid the divorce proceedings. The visa was revoked baed on the allegations of fraud and weapons dealing.
What followed was a Six and a Half-year complicated legal proceedings that played out in courts on both sides of the Atlantic.
For Kelly Rutherford, it was a brutal mother’s nightmare – being separated from her children by an ocean. “There are no words,” she said through tears at the time. Despite being granted generous visitation rights, frequent flights between Los Angeles and Europe became a frustrating lifeline to see Hermès and Helena.
The highly publicized case drew attention from courts, politicians and women’s rights groups who criticized the borders between countries being used to separate children from their mothers. It also became a store revolving around international custody disputes and the tangled web of laws around the world.
Through it all, Daniel Giersch insisted he was doing what was best for the children by keeping them in the South of France near his work and family. A Californian court initially agreed, granting him sole custody in 2015 despite Kelly’s impassioned pleas to keep them in the United States.
So while his teenage peers were enjoying the simple pleasures of youth back in Los Angeles, Hermès Giersch’s childhood became anything but typical. Along with his sister, he found himself being shuttled between Monaco, France and the U.S. on a dizzying schedule coordinated by court orders and custody agreements.
Those with a window into his life describe Hermès as a resilient, caring and smart young man who somehow managed to keep high spirits despite the personal turmoil. Teachers and loved ones remark that he embraced his unique circumstances with wisdom beyond his years.
At a Glance: Hermès Giersch
- Born October 2006 in Los Angeles to Kelly Rutherford and Daniel Giersch
- Older sister is Helena Grace Giersch (born 2006)
- Spent early childhood between Los Angeles and French Riviera
- Central figure in 6+ year transatlantic custody battle after parents divorced
- Lived in France/Monaco with father after 2015 California court ruling
- Traveled frequently to U.S. for court-ordered visitation with mother Kelly
- Now a teenager attending school in Europe; not much publicly known
- Described as resilient, caring and wise beyond his years by loved ones
Final Words
As he navigates the choppy waters of adolescence today, Hermès carries with him the extraordinary life experiences of being, in many ways, a child divided by an ocean. Despite the challenges, Hermés lives a relatively private life and no matter the differences of the parent, Hermès Gustaf Daniel Giersch still remains an important figure in the parent’s lives.
