We are not here for it. Olivia Wilde candidly addressed having haters think she “abandoned” her kids following her split from Jason Sudeikis.
“I share custody of my kids with my ex. People assume I have abandoned my kids, like my kids are just somewhere in a hot car without me,” the Don’t Worry Darlingdirector, 38, told ElleIn her November cover story, published on Thursday, October 13th, she refers to Otis, her son, and Daisy, her daughter. “The suggestion is that I have abandoned my role as a mother.”
Wilde noted she is not “photographed” with her children publicly on purpose, adding, “Do you know the lengths that I go to protect my kids from being seen by you?”
The actress has previously attacked the double standards in her parenting. “The last two years, my family has gone through this kind of restructuring and a revolution that should be a totally personal experience,” she shared with VarietyAugust “And it’s not. The most painful element of it has been women shaming me for making a decision that was for my own health and happiness.”
Wilde continued: “When people see me not with my kids, it’s always ‘How dare she.’ I’ve never seen anyone say that about a guy. And if he is with his kid, he’s a f–king hero.”
The House alum first became a parent when she and then-fiancé Sudeikis, 45, welcomed their son in April 2014. In October 2016, Daisy joined the family.
Olivia Wilde, Daisy Josephine Sudeikis, and Otis Sudeikis John Photography/Shutterstock
Us WeeklyThe couple ended their seven-year-long marriage in November 2020. Wilde and Sudeikis continued coparenting after their split. She moved on with her family. Don’t Worry DarlingCostar Harry Styles.
Wilde received custody papers from her ex-husband during a presentation at CinemaCon in April. The New Yorker later criticized the way Wilde was served with the legal paperwork.
“The only people who suffered were my kids, because they’ll have to see that, and they shouldn’t ever have to know that happened,” she explained during her interview with Variety. “For me, it was appalling, but the victims were an 8 and 5 year-old, and that’s really sad. I chose to be an actor. I was open to the idea of being in the spotlight. But it’s not something my children have asked for. And when my kids are dragged into it, it’s deeply painful.”
The Ted LassoStar for his part, explained in a legal reply that he never intended publicly to serve his ex. “Olivia’s talk was an important event for Olivia, both professionally and personally, and I am very, very sorry that the incident marred her special moment,” he wrote in court paperwork obtained by Use, noting that he didn’t want the documents to be delivered at their kids’ school or at Styles’ home in case their children “might be present.”
Late last month, Wilde admitted that restructuring her family amid the breakup was “hard but doable” for the exes. “If you can surround them with so much love, then it’s OK. But it’s tricky because we’re not doing it in private,” she said on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “It’s allowed for some really deep conversations with my kids about emotions and about happiness and about what family means and love.”
