Who is Hillary Rhoda? 'Oppenheimer' star Sean Avery faces restraining order amid abuse claims
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A restraining order is still in place for 'Oppenheimer' star Sean Avery. Earlier in July, according to ET, a judge decided to uphold Hilary Rhoda's temporary restraining order against her 43-year-old husband. Rhoda, 36, filed for divorce from the former NHL player in July 2022.
The model obtained a temporary restraining order against Avery in October 2022, preventing the 'Oppenheimer' actor from contacting her and their three-year-old son, Nash. It will now be in force until their next court appearance, slated for September 11.
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Who is Hillary Rhoda?
Rhoda, a model, was born in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on April 6, 1987. She is most recognized for her work with Estee Lauder and her appearances in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues.
'I am scared of Sean'
In the 2022 court documents, Rhoda accused her husband, whom she had married in 2015, of both domestic and child abuse, as per ET. The model started by describing an alleged event from September 2022 when Avery was arrested for domestic battery. She said that Avery "entered my house (even though I asked him not to), climbed in bed with me (twice) and wouldn't leave. He grabbed me by the arms and shook me, twice. I was very scared for my safety and called the police." Since then, Avery, according to Rhoda, had been passing by her home "several times a day." "I am scared of Sean and feel threatened by this behavior and his acts of physical violence," she wrote in the documents.
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Rhoda further wrote in the filings, "Sean also yells, swears, and name-calls on a constant basis. He follows me, trying to get me to engage. He has engaged in many instances of physical abuse against me and against third parties. Sean has also been physically and emotionally abusive to our son, Nash."
Regarding the claims that he was abusive to their son, Rhoda detailed a event that she alleged took place in June 2022. "Sean became irritated that our son woke up sick in the middle of the night. He screamed at me (in front of Nash) to go get Nash's 'f*****g medicine,' and then aggressively punched the wall in Nash's bedroom and then punched our bedroom door. (Nash witnessed this and was scared and grabbing on to me)," Rhoda wrote, adding, "Sean then followed me to the kitchen, and as I was trying to get Nash's medicine, he ripped the cabinet door open -- slamming my finger between the open cabinet and the wall. I was petrified of Sean and his physical and aggressive behavior."
'I need to obtain an order protecting me and Nash'
Soon after, Rhoda told Avery that she was going to divorce him. She said that in response, he said he would "kill himself," and that he later texted her, "I don't think I'll make it thru this [with a broken heart emoji]." Rhoda said that Avery threatened to "destroy" her and that he informed her they were going to "war" after she actually filed for divorce.
Avery "admitted to me he was addicted to oxycontin, and he blamed his addiction as the reason for all of his 'bad behavior,'" according to Rhoda, at about the same time. He was previously arrested in 2015 for illegally possessing a prohibited drug. "I am afraid for my safety and our child's safety, and I need protection. Over the years, I have tried to appease Sean, naively hoping he would change," Rhoda penned in the documents, adding, "... I now realize that I need to take this step and obtain an order protecting me and Nash from Sean's dangerous and abusive behavior."