James Cameron and Wife Suzy Amis Granted Guardianship of Their Daughter's Friend

James Cameron and his wife, Suzy Amis Cameron, have become temporary guardians of one of their daughter's friends.

On Wednesday, a California judge granted the two guardianship of the 16-year-old girl who befriended one of their three daughters together, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

The couple now has the right to travel with the teenager internationally and set her residence outside of California and the U.S. for no longer than four months, as stated in the documents. Cameron has been directing the Avatar sequels in New Zealand.

In May, the couple filed a petition to become the temporary guardians of the teenager, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time.

The Avatar director said the teenage girl lived with her biological parents in New York until September 2019. The girl's parents became "increasingly unable to care" for her, the Camerons claimed in their petition.

The couple's daughter and the teenager "maintained a close friendship, connecting online daily and even visiting each other in their respective hometowns," according to the couple.

The teenager has been living with the Cameron family at their California home and has been going to school in the state since September 2019.

They say the teenager is now "thriving" under their care and that "she wishes to continue to be cared for" by the couple with the permission of her parents and grandparents.

The director shares three children with Amis Cameron: daughters Claire, 19; Quinn, 16; and Elizabeth 13. He also has a 27-year-old daughter, Josephine, from his marriage to Terminator star Linda Hamilton. Amis Cameron has a son, Jasper, 30, from her previous marriage to actor Sam Robards.