I thought it was a bit. Based on the reaction in the room, I think the majority of the people attending the Warner Bros. panel at CinemaCon 2022 in Las Vegas assumed this was part of the act, as well. Actor-director Olivia Wilde was on stage talking about her upcoming directorial effort Don’t Worry Darling, starring Florence Pugh, Chris Pine and Harry Styles. In the middle of her speech, Wilde was approached by a lady from the crowd and handed papers, which the director clearly didn’t know were coming. She looked at them, understood what they were, and moved on. We eventually learned that the papers were custody papers served to her by her ex, Jason Sudeikis, and now we’re learning more about why the Ted Lasso star chose that method.
Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis split in 2020 after being together for nine years. Shortly after the split, Wilde started a relationship with singer-actor Harry Styles, which continues on to this day. And Styles reportedly factored into Sudeikis’ decision to serve his ex custody papers in Las Vegas at CinemaCon.
The Main Issue Between Olivia Wilde And Jason Sudeikis
This boils down to a custody conversation about where Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis will co-parent their two children, Otis and Daisy. Reports state the family largely has spent its time in either New York (where Sudeikis spent years working on Saturday Night Live) or Los Angeles. Because Wilde recently has discussed moving to London with the kids, and Sudeikis allegedly wants them to move to Brooklyn, he chose to serve her with papers.
But Sudeikis also made it clear that wanted to avoid Harry Styles when delivering these papers (or having them delivered), and clarified (via The Daily Mail):
I did not want service to take place at the home of Olivia's current partner because Otis and Daisy might be present. I did not want service to take place at the children's school because parents might be present.
So he opted for a very public serving while his ex was on stage in Las Vegas promoting her follow up to the successful Booksmart. That’s pretty harsh. He now claims that this was never his intention, and that an attempt was made by the process server to deliver the papers at Wilde’s hotel. When that didn’t work, she showed up at the Warner Bros. panel. Regarding the method of delivery, Sudeikis continued:
I understand that the process server had only done her job; however, I deeply regret what happened. 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.
Those words aren’t helping ease Wilde’s feelings on the matter, as she still believes that Sudeikis was intentionally trying to “embarrass” and “threaten” her by making the WB panel about their issues. That might be why a judge recently took the actress’s side in the ongoing matter.
A Judge Rules In Olivia Wilde’s Favor
Jason Sudeikis was filing court documents that would allow his children, Otis and Daisy, to live in New York with him. He intended on moving to his home in Brooklyn now that filming on the third season of Ted Lasso had concluded. It was his hope that Wilde and the kids would relocate to New York state… except a judge has now ruled against the SNL alum, and in Wilde’s favor.
According to People, a judge dismissed Sudeikis’ custody petition on the following grounds:
Both Judge Powell and this Referee agreed that New York was not the home state of the subject children; but rather California was the children's home state. This court finds that New York does not have jurisdiction to hear the custody petitions as New York is not the home state of the subject children.
As a result, the two kids will remain in California. That doesn’t seem to address the concern of Olivia Wilde moving Jason Sudeikis’ kids to London if she wanted to move in with her current boyfriend, Harry Styles. This feels like a step in the process, but not the full resolution, which often is the case in lengthy custody battle that play out in the public eye.
Maybe we’ll hear more about this as we get closer to the release of Don’t Worry Darling, a movie that’s already generating headlines because of alleged drama between lead actors Florence Pugh and Styles. There are also some steamy love scenes between Styles and Pugh in the movie, which has to be unusual, given the fact that Wilde is the director. Still, the movie is going to be making the rounds on the fall film festival circuit, hoping to generate some kind of buzz that might carry it through the awards season.
While you wait for Don’t Worry Darling to reach theaters, scan our complete list of 2022 Movie Releases and see what else you can catch at a theater near you.
