Kelly Rutherford settles bankruptcy case

Actress Kelly Rutherford can finally move on from her three-year bankruptcy battle after the case was officially closed.

The former Gossip Girl star declared she was broke in 2013, revealing her years-long international custody battle with her ex-husband Daniel Giersch over their two children, seven-year-old Helena and 10-year-old Hermes, had taken a toll on her finances.

Giersch fled to Monaco and France while he sorted out visa issues which had forced him to leave the U.S. in 2012 and Rutherford, who is based in New York, was forced to fly out and see her kids. She challenged the ruling and then had to fight for her son and daughter in a Monaco court, only for a local judge to grant Giersch full custody in 2015.

The legal struggle and the travel costs involved ripped through her finances, but the 48-year-old has finally been given something to smile about after her bankruptcy trustee filed his final report to end the case last week (ends17Feb17).

According to DailyMail.co.uk, Rutherford had listed her liabilities at over $2 million (£1.6 million) in her original bankruptcy documents, with assets amounting to just under $24,000 (£19,260).

She had a number of her outstanding debts discharged, and in the final financial report, it was revealed Giersch, who had been among her creditors, was only granted $163,000 (£130,800) of the $1.5 million (£1.2 million) he claimed he was owed.

It was also bad news for the lawyers who handled her divorce and custody cases as they received none of their respective $200,000 (£160,500) and $1.1 million (£882,750) claims, while American Express credit card officials lost out on the $36,300 (£29,100) they were owed, too.

Rutherford split from Giersch in 2008, while she was pregnant with their second child, after two years of marriage. Their divorce was finalised in 2010.