Things are getting messy between Sophie Turner and estranged husband Joe Jonas. New court documents reveal the Game of Thrones star sued Jonas over the return of their two daughters, Willa, 3, and D., 14 months, to England.
Turner’s attorneys filed a petition in New York City stating “wrongful retention of two children” in New York City by Jonas from “their habitual residence in England,” according to TODAY.It asked for the “immediate return” of the exes’ two daughters to Turner’s home in London.
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas' separation may be due to differing lifestyles. https://t.co/UejZVMzqVo
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) September 8, 2023
The filing included more details about the A-listers’ split, which has received wide speculation on social media. Turner’s team says she and Jonas made England their permanent home in April 2023 and “often discussed their desire to raise their children in England.”
Sophie Turner Has Been Vocal in Her Desire to Live in England
In fact, she has previously spoken about moving to England. In a May 2022 interview with Elle UK, she said, “I miss England so much. The people, the attitude, everything. I’m slowly dragging my husband back.” She added, “I really love living in America but, for my mental health, I have to be around my friends and my family. And also for my daughter – I would love her to get the education and school life that I was so lucky to have. England would ideally be the final destination, but [Joe] might take quite a bit of convincing! My parent’s house is the epitome of the English countryside – horses, sheep, cows…”
So was there a miscommunication between Turner and Jonas about where their permanent home should be? Was Jonas just going along with what Turner wanted and then changed his mind? Or did he never actually agree to move to England? It’s hard to say, especially since a source told PEOPLE that the family was “based in Florida.”
“They were not separated but they’ve been living separate lives for months,” the source added.
Turner doesn’t offer any more clues about their living situation in her petition, but she did say that the couple “had an argument” on Aug. 15, and then Turner found out on Sept. 5 (through the media!) that Jonas had filed for divorce four days earlier, according to TODAY. Yikes! Turner was busy filming a TV series in London while Jonas was touring with brothers Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas during the time he filed for divorce. If this filing is accurate, it means that Turner thought they were just having an argument (like every married couple), but apparently it was enough for Jonas to decide to split.
A Divorce Lawyer Weighs In
Since filing for divorce, the “Hesitate” singer has seemingly been on a campaign to paint Turner as a bad mother. Sources leaked that he’s been with his daughters “pretty much all of the time” while he’s been on tour. He even took them out to breakfast, where he was photographed looking like the model father. Another insider claimed that Turner “likes to party” while Jonas “likes to stay at home.”
These stories have actually had an opposite effect of what you might think, with many people on social media defending Turner and her parenting.
On Sept. 13, Ashley M. Silberfeld, a Partner in the Matrimonial and Family Law Practice at Blank Rome LLP, told SheKnowsthat anything Jonas and Turner did after their divorce filing “could be considered a legal tactic.”
“One could speculate this was as much about Joe wanting to bolster his image as a dad,” Silberfeld told us. “Another could speculate that he’s trying to disparage Sophie. Whenever parents are in a contentious relationship, both parties are under a microscope, and whatever they do/don’t do is fuel for criticism.”
Silberfeld emphasized that traveling doesn’t make someone a bad parent. “That doesn’t make them bad parents or mean they lose custody or can’t move with the children,” she continued, adding that the court will look at “all relevant factors” to determine what’s best for children.
“One of those factors is, over the long term — not just a few weeks, here and there — with whom do the kids spend their time,” she said. “If the parties are sharing custody equally — it’s 50-50, generally speaking in California — move away cases are very, very difficult for courts to resolve.”
Both Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner Have Family Support
Last week, an insider told OK that the Joan star “begged” for Jonas not to file for a divorce. “Sophie had wanted Joe to wait until she was back in the States,” they claimed. “She begged for another chance.”
The insider added, “Sophie seems to have reluctantly accepted it, even if it does mean some painful discussions about custody arrangements and the practical inconvenience of both parents being based on different continents. It’s an agonizing and painful situation.”
It seems that Turner has family support. A source told Page Sixthat the Jonas family “loves her and the love she has for those girls.” They continued, “It wasn’t working anymore. It happens. Joe has to do what he has to do, and same goes for Soph. Only they know what’s best for them and their family.”
Another source had previously revealed that Jonas “never wanted to break up his family,” but decided to do “what he felt was the best course of action for his girls. An unhappy home isn’t a home, and the truth is he and Sophie were going through it this year.”
Fighting over custody of your kids can get real challenging, real fast. Our hearts are breaking for Turner and Jonas — and their girls — in this incredibly difficult situation.
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