“Ioan Gruffudd would do anything to stop his daughters from going through this.” KATIE HIND reveals shocking documents that raise new questions about ex Alice Evans’ history of homelessness

Just over two years ago, Alice Evans, the woman at the center of Hollywood’s most vicious divorce battle, launched a GoFundMe page.

In a post on the page, Alice, 56, insisted she was no longer able to buy food, pay her utility bills or cover the legal fees of her legal battle with her ex-husband and father of her two children, British actor Ioan Gruffudd.

She added that she was “struggling as a single mother to her babies” and told how her bank accounts, savings and even her pension fund had been “depleted”. She asked her followers for “anything you can contribute”.

The 102 Dalmatians actress also said she feared she would be found guilty of contempt of court if she did not secure the funds needed to hire a lawyer to represent her at future hearings. In total, her desperate pleas generated just $6,974 of her $25,000 goal.

But was Alice really broke when she created the GoFundMe page?

She and Ioan finally reached an agreement on their divorce and custody two months ago. But the legal hearing on finances, which began this month, reveals a new aspect of the saga.

In shocking court documents filed by Gruffudd on Tuesday night, he claims that at the time she was asking fans for money, Alice had a total of $86,457 in available funds in two accounts.

Gruffud claims that his UK account (converted from pounds to dollars) contained $78,740, while his US account had a balance of $7,717. However, on November 12, 2022, he wrote on social media: “So that’s it, I’m completely broke. I have a three day weekend ahead of me, two kids to feed, look after and ZERO in the bank,

“I’ve spent all of my life savings in the last two years since my ex left me. I’ve paid it all off while being a full-time mom. Now it’s all gone.”

Documents filed by her ex-husband this week stated that “during this same time,” she had a total of $24,766 to her name.

Alice has repeatedly claimed she is struggling with money during her long-running feud with Ioan, 50, her husband of 14 years, who is now engaged to actress Bianca Wallace, 31.

Court documents allege his ex-wife bombarded him with emotional messages, claiming she was unable to pay rent. Ioan says that in October 2023, Alice “threatened” his relationship with their two daughters, Ella, 14, and Elsie, ten, when she wrote to him: “It will not be possible to continue with any of the things we are doing in terms of fixing your relationship because I don’t know where we will go.”

But according to Ioan’s recent court declaration, Alice’s financial records show she had $17,735.55 at the beginning of the month and later received an additional payment of $13,994.

A month later, according to the papers, Alice wrote to Ioan saying that her daughters would not receive Christmas stockings or presents as they usually did because she had “run out of money”.

Another sticking point in the bitter split has been a dazzling Rolex watch worn by Ioan’s new fiancée, which Alice claimed two months ago was a gift from the actor. Court documents allege Alice claimed that although Bianca wore a Rolex, she “couldn’t feed her children” and had to “live on food stamps.”

Ioan claims the watch belongs to a friend and one member of his circle said: “It was ridiculous to suggest Ioan had bought it for her when she had no idea if that was the case.”

Meanwhile, Ioan claims he overpaid Alice nearly $400,000 in child support. As a result, friends of Ioan, the Welsh heartthrob who starred in ITV drama Liar in 2016, say he has become “increasingly irritated” by Alice’s claims that he is destitute.

One of them told the Mail: “It’s been very frustrating for Ioan to have to watch this while he was paying her expenses. It’s clear she took to social media to publicly claim she was on drugs.”

“It’s very likely that some of those who donated had less money in their accounts than she did. It’s quite insulting. It’s a very sad situation that makes him worry about his daughters more than he should.

“At the forefront of his mind are his daughters Ella and Elsie, whom he loves deeply. Ioan would do anything to ensure they didn’t have to suffer through all this.”

Although Ioan has largely remained silent throughout the battle, Alice, who has American parents but grew up in Bristol, often vents her frustrations on X (formerly Twitter). A friend of the star says: “Ioan wishes she wouldn’t do that. He wishes they could resolve this quietly so his daughters wouldn’t be dragged into a public fight. It’s deeply saddening for him.”

All in all, it was a sad story that captivated the entertainment world. However, like so many relationships that go sour over time, it had begun in a very promising way.

Ioan and Alice met on the set of 102 Dalmatians over 20 years ago, when they played on-screen lovers Kevin and Chloe. They later fell in love in real life and, on New Year’s Day 2006, he popped the question.

They then tied the knot in Mexico, followed by Ella and Elsie. The family settled in Los Angeles, where they became known as one of Hollywood’s most popular couples.

But cracks began to appear in their marriage. A war of words began, which quickly led to a split and Ioan fighting for joint custody of their children.

The feud between them, which has now been going on for more than three years, culminated in a restraining order being imposed on Alice in February 2022 after she posted a series of messages about Ioan and his new girlfriend Bianca on social media and allegedly sent him more than 100 text messages. Court documents claimed that Alice had branded him a “child molester” online and Ioan accused her of creating anonymous social media accounts (up to 22 on Twitter/X) that she would use to criticise him to her followers.

Alice denied abusing or harassing him, but the order was extended to three years, so she remains banned from posting about Ioan or his fiancée until August 2025.

In August last year, a Los Angeles judge granted Gruffudd’s request that her two daughters attend therapy and agreed that Evans should take them to weekly “reunification” sessions.

But in his income and expense declaration filed on Tuesday, Ioan says Alice repeatedly refused to take her daughters to sessions or, if she did, interrupted them. On one occasion, he says, she threw herself to the floor “abruptly” and then claimed to have had a panic attack.

She also accused Alice of “creating dramatic scenes”, “calling an ambulance during a session” and “encouraging” children to leave within minutes of arriving for a session.

Ioan also said that Alice had accused the therapist of favouring him and argued with him “in front of the children”. He added that not a single full session was completed due to the incidents he referred to.

Ioan wrote of his sessions: “I think it was the constant interference and alienation from Alice herself that caused the reunification therapy to be unsuccessful.”

But she confirmed that, despite everything, she made the “difficult” decision to settle her joint custody claim in June.

Dealing a final blow, Ioan wrote in the papers that his decision to settle was due in part to “Alice’s propensity to abuse the family law process to remain relevant in the public eye at the expense of me and our children.”

He also said in the paperwork that he had only spent nine hours with his children this year.

As a friend of Ioan’s says: “It’s been hell for him and it’s made him think that Alice has cheated on him. It’s horrible, but above all it’s sad for the children, very sad because they have had to grow up in the middle of this horrible divorce.”

A court hearing between the warring parties will follow, where I am told “a significant amount of information and evidence” will be released. As one source told me: “If you think this is over, you are wrong.”