Little Women: Los Angeles star Christy Gibel filed for an annulment of her marriage to Todd Gibel in Los Angeles Friday.
On Friday, The Blast obtained court records showing that Gibel, 41, filed to annul the marriage instead of a divorce. The couple have been married since 2014, and annulments are usually filed for in cases of a short marriage. An annulment would retroactively classify the marriage as invalid.
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It’s was not initially clear why Gibel would file for an annulment instead of a divorce. She will have to prove why she believes the marriage was invalid in court.
However, sources close to Gibel told TMZ the marriage was never consummated and she is accusing Todd of financial fraud. Todd told TMZ they did have sex during their marriage and evidence debunking her claim of financial fraud will come to light in court.
“I’m working on a bunch of exciting projects that fans will be able to watch on Little Women: LA when we return to Lifetime in July,” Gibel said in a statement to PEOPLE Monday. “My focus is going fully into my projects, building my empire and taking care of my family. I’ve spent too much time in the last four years not taking care of ME and it’s time that I focus on what really matters in my life.”
In May, Gibel filed for a temporary restraining order against Todd. Sources close to Gibel told TMZ that Todd was making life for her and her 19-year-old daughter “miserable in a number of threatening ways.” Gibel claims he was pretending to be her in emails and tried to keep her locked out of her social media accounts.
Gibel also accused him of ripping up her mail and “unnecessarily raising the temperature in the house to unbearable levels.”
“Christy is looking forward to mov[ing] to a place of healing and safety – first and foremost – for herself and her daughter Autumn. Allegations have been made by Todd that are largely fabricated, per Christy, and she’s taking the steps necessary to find a means to an end,” a spokesperson for Gibel told PEOPLE.
Gibel was granted the restraining order, which told Todd to keep 100 yards away from Gibel and Autumn. He was also ordered to move out of their Santa Clarita, California home.
Gibel has been on Little Women: LA since 2014. She has two children, Autumn and Trenton, from her first marriage. She also appeared in 2002’s Death to Smoochy with Robin Williams.
Gibel and Todd did not have any children together. There was an episode of Little Women: LA in which they discussed having children, but TMZ‘s sources said this was all for the show.
The couple have hinted at marriage trouble on their Instagram pages. On May 4, Gibel shared a quote about having “fed mouths that have talked s– about me.” A month later, Todd shared a Keanu Reeves quote that read, “Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the person you are today. Be thankful for the hard times, they can only make you stronger.”
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