A well-known cinematographer, camera & electrical department worker, and media face from the United States, James Heerdegen is widely known as the former partner of Christina Ricci. Ricci is a talented American actress, model, and social media personality who has appeared in several movies and TV shows such as Percy, Bel Ami, Anything Else, Cursed, and many more.
Apart from his fantastic videography and cinematography skills, James made headlines by involving himself in a domestic violence case. We all know domestic violence and abusive relationships are entirely unacceptable and inhuman. However, he was reportedly alleged of abusing his ex-wife mentally and physically. The personal conflict between him and Christina certainly turned lots of heads. So, what exactly had happened between the former married duo? Let's get to know every detail regarding James Heerdegen's professional career and personal life.
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James Heerdegen Net Worth And Career
Christina Ricci's ex-husband is one of the most creative cameras & electrical department staff in America. He has created his separate identity in Hollywood apart from just being associated with Ricci. Furthermore, most of James Heerdegen's net worth comes from his profession as a videographer. Additionally, his accomplishment as a cinematographer has also contributed to his wealth.
Heerdegen began his career as a videographer in the Da Hip Hop Witch video in 2000, according to his IMDb profile. His other videography credits include Return to Sleepaway Camp, A Holmes of Their Own, Sex and the City, Baby Mama, and What Happens in Vegas, to name a few. Similarly, he has around 53 credits of working behind the scenes.
In addition, in 2018, the media personality worked as an executive producer for the TV Movie Terror in the Woods. Besides, Heerdegen also served as a Cinematographer for 10 Things We Should Do Before We Break Up in 2020. James Heerdegen's ex-wife, Christina, played the lead role in the film. Now, let's see some of his projects, including their box-office collections, below:
Movies | Box Office Collections |
10 things We Should Do Before We Break Up | $59,110 |
Baby Mama | $64,444,713 |
Sex and the City | $418,765,519 |
Friends with Benefits | $149,542,245 |
Table Source: Box Office Mojo
As Christina Ricci's ex-husband has been a part of some commercially successful projects, he must have earned a substantial income. According to glassdoor, a person working as a videographer in America earns $73.778 on average per year. Hence, Heerdegen's salary must be in a similar range. Therefore, James Heerdegen's net worth must be a notable figure from his videography and cinematography career. On the other hand, his former spouse, Christina has a fortune worth $8 million.
Likewise, Ayesha Hauer is another acting personality with a remarkable net worth.
Accused of Physically and Emotionally Abusing His Ex-Wife
As already mentioned, the camera technician was previously married to Christina Ricci. She is a renowned acting figure with movies like Black Snake Moan, Sleepy Hollow, That Darn Cat, The Addams Family, etc., under her belt. The ex-duo first met while working on the series Pan Am in 2012. Later, they fell in love with one another and announced their engagement in February 2013. The same year the ex-couple married on October 26 in Manhattan. Furthermore, they also share a child together.
James Heerdegen ex-wife, Christiana Ricci is an American actress who is the recipient of several accolades such as a Satellite Award and National Board of Review Award. Image Source: Christina Ricci Instagram.
However, James Heerdegen's ex-wife, Christina, filed for divorce on July 2, 2020, after almost seven years of marriage. She claimed in her divorce papers that her then-husband had abused her severely both physically and emotionally and that many of these acts had happened in front of their kid. Initially, on June 25, 2020, the Los Angeles Police Department had responded to a report at the residence of Ricci and Heerdegen in Woodland Hills, California. Following that, any contact between the then-couple was prohibited.
However, the matter didn't end there. James later accused Christina of being a heavy alcoholic and a threat to their baby in January 2021. He also asked his ex-spouse to cover his attorney's fees and pay a child and spousal support, totaling $50K. Finally, the estranged duo made their divorce official on June 21, 2021. Afterward, Christina moved on and married hairstylist Mark Hampton in the same year, while the videographer has stayed away from the limelight.
Has A Son With His Former Partner
With his ex-wife, James has welcomed one child, Freddie Heerdegen. Freddie was born on August 8, 2014. Furthermore, after his parents' ugly separation, his full custody was granted to Christina in April 2021, while James has visitation rights. Moreover, according to the custody arrangement, Ricci had to pay reasonable costs for her ex-husband's travel and accommodations.
James Heerdegen's son, Freddie's custody has been given to his mother, Christina. Image Source: Christina Ricci Instagram.
Besides, Freddie resides with his mom, Christina, and stepfather, Mark Hampton. He is healthy and is being raised properly. Also, James Heerdegen's son is very adorable and is likely studying. In addition, the former is also a loving father and must take care of his little man very well.
Has Kept His Family Background Private
Christina Ricci's ex-husband was born in the late 1970s in California, United States. Apart from this, he hasn't mentioned much regarding his early life and family background; nevertheless, his parents must have been supportive. Furthermore, Heerdegen was always a creative person since childhood and wanted to involve himself in the technical field.
Moreover, talking about James' educational background, he hasn't been upfront about it to date. Still, according to some sites, he attended a private school and later enrolled in a reputed high school in California for his further studies. Besides, Heerdegen does not seem to be active on social media sites, which makes it hard for fans to trace his personal life.
Nonetheless, the cinematographer must be doing well and living contently. After all the controversy and defaming, James trying to remain low-key is kind of understandable. Moreover, Heerdegen must be focused on whatever he is pursuing, and we wish him more success and wealth in the future.
Trivia And Facts
- After his divorce from Christina, she deleted all the posts of them together from Instagram.
- While asking for spousal support, James stated having depleted his savings, including his retirement, rent payments, and security deposits.