Joe Jonas, 34, responded to Sophie Turner‘s lawsuit against him where she claimed he was keeping their two daughters away from her. Joe’s rep gave a statement to HollywoodLife on September 21 and said that the singer did not “abduct” the former couple’s kids. Earlier in the day, Sophie, 27, filed a lawsuit against Joe and demanded “the immediate return” of their 3-year-old and 1-year-old daughters to England, where they allegedly agreed to live as a family before their split. Joe’s initial divorce filing in Miami reportedly restricts either star from relocating with their children, according to TMZ.
Joe’s rep told HL, “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 rep added, “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.”
Joe’s rep also claimed that Joe and Sophie “had a cordial meeting” on September 17 in New York when Sophie came to be with their daughters. “They have been with her since that meeting,” the rep noted. “Joe’s impression of the meeting was that they had reached an understanding that they would work together towards an amicable co-parenting setup. Less than 24 hours later, 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.”
While the exes are at odds over parenting, Joe’s rep noted the former Disney Channel star “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.”
In her lawsuit, Sophie claimed that she “found out through the media” that Joe filed for divorce on September 5. But Joe’s rep denied this to HL and said that the Game of Thrones star was “aware” of what Joe was going to do. The rep claimed that Joe and Sophie had “multiple conversations” about the end of their marriage before Joe filed for divorce.
Joe and Sophie announced their shocking separation after four years of marriage on Sept. 6. “After four wonderful years of marriage, we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage. 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,” they said.