Joe Jonas is firing back at his ex Sophie Turner’s lawsuit. As we previously reported, the actress made the bold move this Thursday to sue the pop star for the return of their two young children to England, saying in the filing Jonas will not turn over the kids’ passports. The petition comes after the celebrity pair announced their split earlier this month after four years of marriage.
Turner explained in her filing that her children were to stay with Jonas and his extended family until Turner finished filming and she’d travel to New York in mid-September. From there, she was supposed to return to the U.K. with the kids. The petition stated that Jonas was in possession of the children’s passports and refused to hand them over and send them with Turner back to England. Amid all that was the divorce. While the children are currently with Turner in New York, she has requested the return of her children to England and has submitted her application for return with the Central Authority for England and Wales. She also notes that she “never consented or acquiesced to the removal of the children from England.”
Jonas is now hitting back at her claims in a lengthy statement to PEOPLE. A rep said on his behalf: “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 rep said while responding to Turner’s claims that she learned about his divorce filing through the media. “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,” the statement reads.
“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 asserts that the musician 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,” but also alleges that the children “have spent the vast majority of their lives in the U.S.”
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That wasn’t all. The statement continued, “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. “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 statement continues. “Sophie is making this claim only to move the divorce proceedings to the UK and to remove the children from the U.S. permanently.”
The statement concluded, “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 concludes.
Whew! Socialites, what are your thoughts on this? Sound off in the comment box below!