Kelly Rutherford is grateful for the time she was able to spend watching her two children grow up.

The gossip Girl The actress went through a six-year custody battle after separating from her ex-husband, German businessman Daniel Giersch, in 2009. The couple had their son, Hermés, in 2006, a year after their wedding, and their daughter, Helena, in 2009. Rutherford filed for divorce from Giersch when she was only three months pregnant with Helena.

What followed was a years-long custody battle, in which a judge in Monaco finally awarded Giersch sole custody of the two children in 2015 and ordered that the two must live permanently in Monaco, where Giersch lives.

Since then, Rutherford has retreated from the spotlight and slowly made her comeback in early 2024, appearing in several Fashion Week shows.

“Yes, it’s been a challenging time. It’s been a heartbreaking time,” Rutherford told PEOPLE as she reflected on the nearly decade since the final decision was made in February 2024. “But I focus on the good most of the time, I really do. I’m very grateful for where we are. I have a great relationship with my kids.”

From helping her daughter take her iconic mirror selfies to the public custody battle, here’s everything you need to know about Kelly Rutherford’s kids.

Rutherford was pregnant with Helena when she and Giersch separated

Rutherford and Giersch married in 2006 and had their son, Hermés Gustaf Daniel Giersch, the following year on October 18, 2006. The family of three made several public appearances together, from walking the runway during Palm Beach Fashion Week in March 2008 to launching a new toy at Toys R Us in Times Square in September 2008.

In late 2008, Rutherford was expecting her and Giersch’s second child, but when she was only three months pregnant, she filed for divorce. Helena Grace Rutherford Giersch was born on June 8, 2009 in Los Angeles.

Hermés and Helena grew up mainly in Monaco

Both Hermés and Helena were born in the USA and lived in LA – occasionally travelling to New York City, where Rutherford was filming gossip Girl — until 2012, when Giersch was banned from staying in the USA after his work visa was revoked. At that point, at the age of five and two respectively, they moved permanently to Monaco.

As of May 2012, the children lived full-time with Giersch in Monaco. The following August, a judge ruled that Rutherford’s schedule was flexible enough to allow her to visit Monaco frequently.

Despite the ongoing proceedings against their parents, a source told PEOPLE at the time that the children were enjoying the summer in Monaco and would attend an international school in the fall.

“They play tennis at the Monte Carlo Country Club, have friends, snorkel and play on the beach,” the source said. “They are just enjoying the surroundings with the undivided attention of their grandma, grandpa and dad.”

Rutherford and Giersch had a controversial custody battle

Before Giersch’s work visa was revoked in 2012, he and Rutherford had been fighting fierce legal battles in court since their divorce in 2009. The case did not end with the children’s move to Monaco in 2012, however, as three more years of negotiations followed.

While Rutherford continued to fight for custody, they were forced to file for bankruptcy in 2013 due to high legal fees of $1.5 million. Meanwhile, their children continued to live in Monaco and Rutherford was able to see them for a few days each year.

Although Giersch was asked to reapply for a visa, he had not applied for a work or visitor visa as of April 2015, according to the U.S. State Department.

“I always wanted my children to have a relationship with him, and I just encouraged that the whole time. When I went to court, I never asked for money, and I never asked for sole custody,” Rutherford told PEOPLE at the time. “I just wanted what was right for them and their well-being going forward. And what happened over the next six years was the most surreal, bizarre, unimaginable thing.”

Giersch declined to comment on the situation at the time. His lawyer told PEOPLE: “Daniel Giersch continues to protect the children from any negativity and will therefore continue not to participate in these unfortunate and false media narratives that only serve one person and clearly not the children.”

In June 2015, a judge ruled that Rutherford’s children could spend the summer with her in the United States. At the end of the summer, however, Rutherford was in turmoil after she refused to put her children on a plane back to Europe. She told PEOPLE, “No state in this country is currently requiring me to send the children away. Therefore, I have determined that I cannot legally send my children away from the United States to live in another country.”

Three months later, a judge in Monaco awarded Giersch sole custody of Hermés and Helena and prohibited Rutherford from bringing her children back to the United States at any time.

Rutherford was wistful because her children “grew so fast”

Four years after their custody battle ended, Rutherford told PEOPLE that her children are “wonderful” and that she gets to see them often.

“They’re just growing so fast,” Rutherford said in the May 2019 interview. “They’re developing into independent people, like all of us. It’s beautiful to see, and I love that they share it with me. They’re really open with me. We’re just building a real bond, which is beautiful.”

Helena helps her mother take her famous mirror selfies

Today, Helena and Hermés are young adults and continue to live in Monaco. Although Rutherford has kept her children’s lives private, when she returned to the public eye in 2024, she gave a glimpse into her relationship with them.

Known for her Daily Mirror pictures in which she shares her outfit of the day, Rutherford shared in an interview with Grazia UK in July 2024 that the photos were taken with the help of her daughter.

“I don’t know, I keep asking my daughter, she really helps me,” said the dynasty The actress told the outlet how she takes the photos. “We have to take a lot of them.”

In an Instagram post of her outfit from February 2024, Rutherford revealed in the caption that her daughter was also behind the stripe.

“When your daughter takes a photo of you ♥️,” she wrote.

She loves being a mother and has a strong relationship with her children

Nearly 15 years after her custody proceedings began, Rutherford told PEOPLE in February 2024 that she had managed to reach a place of peace and happiness, as she also lives in Monaco with her children.

“My kids are getting older and saying, ‘Okay, move on with your lives,'” she said. “They’re teenagers now and have their friends and their stuff. So my day-to-day life lately has been more about me and my dogs, work and traveling.”

She added: “And being there for my kids… when they have time for me. They still need you when they’re teenagers, but it’s different. I think you just have to be there for them when they need you. It’s very natural for them to grow up and live their lives. It’s a change, but a beautiful change.”