Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis’ relationship drama shows no signs of ending. Wilde claimed her ex-fiancé tried to “embarrass” and “threaten” her when she was served with custody papers on stage at an industry event.
First beginning their relationship in 2011, the couple went on to have two children, Otis, 8, and Daisy, 5, before splitting up in late 2020. Following their breakup, the actor and actress continued to co-parent their children amicably until Wilde was served papers at CinemaCon in April. But according to the Daily Mail in a recent report, the 38-year-old Wilde has now filed a motion to dismiss Sudeikis’ custody petition regarding where their two children will live. Wilde argued in her new filing that Sudeikis, 46, engaged in “outrageous legal tactics” by serving her “mid-speech.”
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“Jason’s actions were clearly intended to threaten me and catch me off guard,” she said. “He could have served me discreetly, but instead, he chose to serve me in the most aggressive manner possible.” Wilde added how Sudeikis would “embarrass [her] professionally and put [their] personal conflict on public display,” which she suggests was “extremely contrary” to their children’s best interests. “Since Jason has made it clear that we will not be able to work this out for our children’s sake outside of the court system, I filed a petition for custody in Los Angeles,” she wrote according to documents.
Wilde stated that Sudeikis and Wilde had agreed to send their kids back to school in Los Angeles during the fall as the filming of Ted Lasso required Sudeikis to be in London. “Recently, however, Jason decided that he wanted to go to New York for the next year while he is not working, and wanted the children to be with him there during this time off,” she said. “When I did not agree since the children have not lived in New York for several years, Jason filed these papers.”
Sudeikis would later say he was angered over the inappropriate way in which Wilde was served. As he stated in his declaration to the court via the Daily Mail, while “reluctant” to serve Wilde because he continues “to care deeply for her,” he was troubled by two particular statements she made during a conversation with him.
“First, Olivia said that if I did not reside full-time in Los Angeles, she would allow me to spend time with Otis and Daisy on weekends and during vacation periods – thus depriving me of my right to parent the children during important periods of their lives…,” Sudeikis said. He continued, “Second, Olivia said that she intended to relocate with the children to London following the close of school in 2023.”
Afraid she would take the children away from him, Sudeikis asked his lawyer to promptly serve the summons and petition Wilde, knowing she was headed to LA the following day. According to the actor, he had always hoped that she would receive the documents in a “benign manner” and requested that it happen at Heathrow Airport, not at the home where she currently lives with boyfriend Harry Styles.
“I did not want service to take place at the home of Olivia’s current partner because Otis and Daisy might be present. I did not want service to take place at the children’s school because parents might be present,” Sudeikis said. He said logistical difficulties ultimately prevented the process server from serving Wilde at the specified location that day. Sudeikis also revealed that he only learned Wilde was served publicly after the news media covered the story.
