Jaime Pressly Says Splitting Up With Her Ex-Fiance Was The Best Thing For Son Dezi James

Splitting up with ex-fiancé Eric Calvo while their 22-month-old son Dezi James is still just a baby was the best thing for all involved, says Jaime Pressly in the April issue of Redbook.

“The parents stay together for the kids, but the kids know that you don’t want to be together,” she explains. “The kids would rather you be happy — and separate — than together and miserable.”

She speaks from experience; Jaime’s own parents parted ways while she was a teenager, and she is hopeful that Dezi will know less strife than she did as a child.

“I don’t want my kid to grow up around two parents who just don’t work. Eric and I take him to the park, we take him to eat. We do things together so he’s with us as a family, so he knows Mommy and Daddy still love each other, that it just didn’t work out.”

Timing was also a concern for the former couple. “I didn’t want to wait until he was older and it affected him more,” Jaime, 31, explains. “I was 14, in hormone hell, and in my first year of high school – and I knew my parents were going to separate before they did…They weren’t happy.”

Although she has full custody Jaime is quick to clarify: She is not a single parent. “Eric is involved – if I need him to take care of Dezi, he’s there at the drop of a dime.”

While Dezi is still too young for overnight visits, he sees his dad every day that Eric is in town. Adds Jaime, “Eric’s very much a part of his life; he’s a great father. We make sure that no matter what happens, Dezi is okay and protected and knows that Mom and Daddy love him.”