Singer Joe Jonas has responded after his estranged wife-actor Sophie Turner filed a lawsuit against him for refusing their daughters’ return to England, her native country.
People.com shared a statement citing Joe’s representative.
As per the lawsuit, Sophie Turner alleged that Joe was holding the kids’ passports with him.
Joe and Sophie have two children–three-year-old Willa and another 14-month-old daughter.
The statement, shared by People, read, “After multiple conversations with Sophie, Joe initiated divorce proceedings in Florida, as Florida is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case.
Sophie was aware that Joe was going to file for divorce.
The Florida Court has already entered an order that restricts both parents from relocating the children. Sophie was served with this order on September 6, 2023, more than two weeks ago.”
It added, “Joe and Sophie had a cordial meeting this past Sunday in New York, when Sophie came to New York to be with the kids. They have been with her since that meeting. Joe’s impression of the meeting was that they had reached an understanding that they would work together towards an amicable co-parenting setup.”
The statement further said that less than 24 hours after the “amicable co-parenting setup” was agreed upon, “Sophie advised that she wanted to take the children permanently to the UK. Thereafter, she demanded via this filing that Joe hand over the children’s passports so that she could take them out of the country immediately. If he complies, Joe will be in violation of the Florida Court order”.
‘The children were not abducted’
It said that Joe is “seeking shared parenting with the kids so that they are raised by both their mother and father and is, of course, also okay with the kids being raised both in the US and the UK.” It added that the children “have spent the vast majority of their lives in the US”. “This is an unfortunate legal disagreement about a marriage that is sadly ending. When language like ‘abduction’ is used, it is misleading at best, and a serious abuse of the legal system at worst. The children were not abducted,” the statement added.
“After being in Joe’s care for the past three months at the agreement of both parties, the children are currently with their mother. Sophie is making this claim only to move the divorce proceedings to the UK and to remove the children from the US permanently,” it further said.
“Joe has already disavowed any and all statements purportedly made on his behalf that were disparaging of Sophie. They were made without his approval and are not consistent with his views. His wish is that Sophie reconsider her harsh legal position and move forward in a more constructive and private manner. His only concern is the well-being of his children,” the statement concluded. Sophie and Joe filed for divorce on September 5 after four years of marriage.
