Olivia Wilde Calls Jason Sudeikis Serving Custody Papers Onstage a 'Vicious' and 'Appalling' Attack
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Olivia Wilde is opening up about being served custody papers from ex Jason Sudeikis onstage in the middle of an April CinemaCon presentation.
In a new Variety cover story, the Don't Worry Darling director and actress says she "hated that this nastiness distracted from the work of so many different people and the studio that I was up there representing," as she previewed her upcoming thriller at the Las Vegas event.
"To try to sabotage that was really vicious," continued Wilde, 38. "But I had a job to do; I'm not easily distracted."
"But, you know, sadly, it was not something that was entirely surprising to me," she added. "I mean, there's a reason I left that relationship."
While a rep for Sudeikis, 46, declined to comment, a source close to the actor tells PEOPLE, "This was obviously someone's big mistake and Jason was really upset. Jason didn't want that."
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"The process server chose where to do it that way and it was messed up," the insider adds. "But no one would have ever known she was served onstage if someone close to her hadn't revealed what was in the envelope, because people thought it was a script."
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Zoe McConnell for Variety
Wilde and Sudeikis have been embroiled in a legal battle pertaining to where they will parent their children — daughter Daisy, 5, and son Otis, 8 — among London, Los Angeles and New York City.
In recent court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Wilde reportedly accused the Ted Lasso actor of "embarrass(ing) me professionally" when she was served the papers onstage.
"Since Jason has made it clear that we will not be able to work this out for our children's sake outside of the court system, I filed a petition for custody in Los Angeles," Wilde said, in part.
Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage; Rich Fury/Getty Olivia Wilde (L); Jason Sudeikis
Sudeikis reiterated in his own filing, reported DM, that he did not intend for Wilde to receive the papers onstage at CinemaCon, but instead requested that they be served at Heathrow Airport — and that plans to serve them at the hotel she was staying at for CinemaCon went awry.
"I understand that the process server had only done her job; however, I deeply regret what happened," said the actor. "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."
While she didn't name Sudeikis while referring to the CinemaCon incident in her conversation with Variety, Wilde told the outlet, "It was my workplace. ... In any other workplace, it would be seen as an attack. It was really upsetting. It shouldn't have been able to happen."
"There was a huge breach in security, which is really scary," the Booksmart director continued. "The hurdles that you had to jump through to get into that room with several badges, plus special COVID tests that had to be taken days in advance, which gave you wristbands that were necessary to gain access to the event — this was something that required forethought."
Of Otis and Daisy, Wilde told Variety, "The only people who suffered were my kids, because they'll have to see that, and they shouldn't ever have to know that happened. For me, it was appalling, but the victims were an 8- and 5-year-old, and that's really sad."
She added, "I chose to become an actress; I willingly walked into the spotlight. But it's not something my children have asked for. And when my kids are dragged into it, it's deeply painful."
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE on Aug. 10, a judge granted Wilde's motion to dismiss a custody petition filed by Sudeikis, from whom she split in 2020 after seven years engaged, in October 2021. As a result, the case will remain in California.
In his petition, the Saturday Night Live alum reportedly said he hoped for the duo to parent their kids from New York City, where the family previously lived and where Otis and Daisy were both born, according to court records obtained by the Daily Mail.
