Joe Jonas didn’t mince words when responding to estranged wife Sophie Turner’s lawsuit, in which the actress claims the singer has “wrongful retention” of their young daughters in the United States.
“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,” a rep for Jonas, 34, told Us Weekly on Thursday, September 21, hours after Turner, 27, filed a lawsuit against the musician. “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.”
Turner’s lawsuit — which was reportedly filed in NYC — states that Jonas is wrongfully detaining their kids in the U.S. (and keeping their passports from their mother) as the former couple allegedly agreed in December 2022 the children would move to England.
“Joe and Sophie had a cordial meeting this past Sunday in New York, when Sophie came to New York to be with the kids,” Jonas’ rep continued” 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 coparenting setup.”
Things clearly took a turn after the meeting.
“Less than 24 hours later, Sophie advised that she wanted to take the children permanently to the U.K. 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 rep explained. “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 U.S. and the UK. The children were born in the U.S. and have spent the vast majority of their lives in the U.S. They are American citizens.”
The rep continued to blast Turner’s lawsuit, calling it 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. After being in Joe’s care for the past three months at the agreement of both parties, the children are currently with their mother,” the rep clarified. “Sophie is making this claim only to move the divorce proceedings to the U.K. and to remove the children from the U.S. permanently.”
The spokesperson concluded to Us: “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.”
Jonas and Turner, who tied the knot in May 2019, became parents in July 2020 when they welcomed their firstborn: daughter Willa. Two years later, Willa became a big sister with the birth of the stars’ youngest daughter, whose name they have not yet revealed.
Fans began noticing cracks in Jonas and Turner’s romance over the summer. The duo sold their Miami home in August for $15 million, and the Jonas Brothers artist was spotted without his wedding ring several times while on tour with his brothers. According to Turner’s filing, the exes split after a big fight on August 15.
“Friends could see there had been a disconnect between the two for a while now, and their connection just didn’t seem quite the same as it had been in the past,” a source exclusively told Us earlier this month. “Joe hadn’t let many people know their issues went further than that and that they had been struggling in their marriage for longer than they let on.”
The exes, for their part, announced their split on September 6, one day after Jonas filed for divorce.
“After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage,” Jonas and Turner said in a joint statement shared via Instagram at the time. “There are many speculative narratives as to why but, truly this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.”
