Olivia Wilde has accused ex Jason Sudeikis of deliberately trying to ’embarrass’ and ‘threaten’ her when she was awkwardly served onstage with custody papers at a live event in April.
Court filings obtained exclusively by have revealed the exes’ once amicable custody and co-parenting agreement has turned into a bitter dispute over Wilde’s plans to move to London, where new boyfriend Harry Styles lives.
Sudeikis, 46, and Wilde, 38, started dating in 2011 and had two children, son Otis, 8, and daughter Daisy, 5, before splitting in late 2020.
The actors have since continued to be co-parents and shared custody of their children, alternating between week-long periods of “parental access” while both splitting their time between New York, Los Angeles and London.
But those arrangements became unworkable in April this year when the couple had a disagreement over where they would permanently raise their children, prompting Sudeikis to file for custody.
Olivia Wilde claims Jason Sudeikis intended to “embarrass” and “threaten” her by publicly serving her custody papers on the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April
Wilde and Sudeikis started dating in November 2011 and got engaged in December 2012 before finally breaking up in November 2020. Wilde began dating Styles in January 2021.
They share two children – eight-year-old son Otis and five-year-old daughter Daisy – and continued to have amicable co-parenting after their split
In her motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Wilde said the two originally agreed to send their children back to school in Los Angeles for the upcoming school year, since Sudeikis was due to finish the final season of the Apple TV series Ted Lasso, which had required him be in London.
“Recently, however, Jason decided he wanted to go to New York for the next year while he wasn’t working and wanted the kids to be with him during that hiatus,” the actress said on the filing.
“When I didn’t agree, as the kids haven’t lived in New York for several years, Jason submitted those papers.”
Wilde, who began dating Styles in January 2021, argued that the children have spent most of the past four years in LA or in London, even attending schools in the two cities.
Wilde was infamously served with the court documents on April 26 while she was speaking about her new film on stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
The Hollywood star was in the middle of a presentation to 4,100 film industry executives about her upcoming thriller Don’t Worry Darling when she was awkwardly handed a Manila envelope by a bailiff.
The bizarre moment sparked furious speculation about the envelope’s contents among attendees and reporters at the annual gathering of cinema owners and Hollywood studios.
Neither party publicly addressed the incident, and a source close to Sudeikis later claimed he was unaware that the newspapers would be delivered to Wilde in such a public and humiliating manner.
Wilde first referred to the embarrassing incident in her court filing, slamming her ex for his “outrageous legal tactics” and delivering the documents “mid-speech.”
“Jason’s actions were clearly aimed at threatening me and catching me off guard. He could have served me discreetly, but instead he chose to serve me in the most aggressive manner,” she said in the documents.
In an embarrassing moment that made headlines, Wilde was served the court documents on April 26 as she spoke to a crowd at CinemaCon in Las Vegas about her new film
The Hollywood star was in the middle of a presentation to 4,100 film industry executives about her upcoming thriller Don’t Worry Darling when she was awkwardly handed a Manila envelope by a bailiff
The former couple had alternated week-long periods of “parental access” with their children as both split their time between New York, Los Angeles and London
“The fact that Jason would embarrass me professionally and publicly display our personal conflict in this way is extremely contrary to the best interests of our children.
“Since Jason has made it clear that, for the good of our children, we cannot resolve this outside of the court system, I have filed for custody in Los Angeles.”
According to court records, Wilde and Sudeikis mostly lived in New York for most of their relationship, with their two children being born in the city.
The two shared a home in Brooklyn after buying the property for $6.5 million in 2014, and lived there sporadically until 2019, when a mold problem made the home completely unlivable.
During this period, Sudeikis and Wilde also spent extended periods in Los Angeles due to work commitments, but considered the Brooklyn home their primary family home, according to the actor.
In his statement to the court, Sudeikis said that while he, Wilde and their two children had lived in London since December 2021, they intended to return to his “permanent home” in Brooklyn when filming for Ted Lasso wrapped in July.
He said he hopes his ex and their children will also return to New York so they can continue their current custody arrangement.
Sudeikis said he now believes those plans are “unlikely” after Wilde “insisted” on living in LA with her children and asked him to join them during a custody discussion in April.
She also revealed her future plans of moving to London at the end of next year where she lives with former One Direction star Harry Styles, 28.
“For better or for worse, I’m a New Yorker,” Sudeikis said, adding that it’s in children’s best interests to grow up in Brooklyn.
Sudeikis admits he was terrified at the prospect of Wilde moving her children to London, where her new boyfriend Harry Styles lives. The couple are pictured together in London in March. Wilde began dating Styles in January 2021.
Sudeikis has meanwhile spent a lot of time in London due to his role in the Apple TV series Ted Lasso
He argued that it was in their children’s best interests to grow up in Brooklyn
He also claimed he was “reluctant” to serve Wilde because he remains “very caring for her,” but said he was startled by two specific statements during their conversation.
“First, Olivia said if I didn’t live in Los Angeles full-time, she would allow me to spend time with Otis and Daisy on weekends and during vacations — thereby taking away my right to raise the kids at important times in their lives… ‘ said Sudeikis.
He continued, “Secondly, Olivia said that she intends to move to London with the children after school finishes in 2023.”
Sudeikis, “fearful” that she would “take Otis and Daisy away” from him, said he asked his attorney at that moment to serve the subpoena and petition to Wilde, knowing she would be leaving for LA the next morning.
The actor claimed he had always hoped she would be served in a “benign manner” and asked that the service be held at Heathrow Airport rather than at her boyfriend Harry Styles’ house, where she currently resides.
“I didn’t want the service to be at Olivia’s current partner’s house because Otis and Daisy could be present. I didn’t want the service to take place in the children’s school because the parents could be there,” Sudeikis said.
The actor goes on to say that the process server was ultimately unable to serve Wilde at the intended location that day due to a series of logistical mishaps.
He said he would not learn that Wilde would eventually be served in public until days later when the incident made headlines.
Wilde and Sudeikis are out and about in Los Angeles in 2012
In his statement to the court, Sudeikis said that while he, Wilde and their two children had lived in London since December 2021, they intended to return to his “permanent home” in Brooklyn when filming for Ted Lasso wrapped in July. He is pictured with the cast at the Emmy Awards in September
Sudeikis claimed he was “deeply upset” by the turn of events and later found out that Wilde’s whereabouts had been tracked thanks to a tweet speculating about her appearance at CinemaCon.
An attempt was made to serve Wilde at her Las Vegas hotel where the event was taking place, but after that failed, “the server noticed Olivia on the Warner Brothers panel and served the subpoena and petition on Olivia.”
Sudeikis said he “remained very concerned about the way the service was being delivered”.
“I understand the process officer was just doing her job; However, I deeply regret what happened. Olivia’s speech was an important event for Olivia, both professionally and personally, and I am very, very sorry that the incident spoiled her special moment,” he added.