Jason Sudeikis Loses Child Custody Battle Against Olivia Wilde, Who Plans to Move to London

"Ted Lasso" star Jason Sudeikis had lost his child custody battle against his ex-partner, Olivia Wilde, who slammed the actor for deliberately humiliating her in public when she got served the custody papers.

In an exclusive with Daily Mail, the exes, who separated amicably, are now wrapped in a bitter custody battle after Sudeikis petitioned for his kids, Otis, 8, and Daisy, 5, to live with him in New York. Wilde, apparently, had plans to leave Los Angeles and permanently move to London, the home of her boyfriend, Harry Styles.

But on Wednesday, August 10, a judge sided with Wilde and dismissed the petition of Sudeikis in New York after acknowledging that the children's home state is California. Sudeikis' petition was out of their jurisdiction.

In her motion, Wilde told the court that their co-parenting arrangement worked for a while because Sudeikis was also working in London. However, by next year, the actor plans to live in New York; thus, he filed for child custody. A surprised Wilde got served the custody papers while she was on stage, speaking for a major CinemaCon event for Hollywood insiders.

Jason Sudeikis' "outrageous legal tactics"

Wilde and her kids shuttled between Los Angeles and London in the last four years. The mother said in her petition that their children had been attending school in both cities when she and Sudeikis had work. Wilde also said that Otis and Daisy haven't lived in New York for many years.

Wilde also called out Sudeikis in her motion following the "outrageous legal tactics" his lawyers made to serve the custody papers. The actress said that her ex "clearly intended" to catch her off guard after someone handed her the custody papers while she was talking on stage.

"He could have served me discreetly," Wilde said in her motion. "But instead he chose to serve me in the most aggressive manner possible."

The actress also accused her ex-partner of embarrassing her professionally and personally, reflecting behavior that did not have their children's best interest.

However, sources close to Sudeikis claimed that he had no knowledge that the custody papers would be delivered in such a manner. In a statement to Us Weekly, an apologetic Sudeikis said he deeply regretted that the incident marred Wilde's very important talk at CinemaCon. He also said he didn't want the papers served at home because his children could be present.

This long custody battle is just the start

Evan D. Schein of Berkman Bottger Newman and Schein in New York, who is not involved in the case, said that this is just the beginning of the ex-couple's high-profile custody battle, per Newsweek. The expert noted that Wilde might have won this round, but the parents will still undergo a litigation process in California after Wilde filed her own custody petition.

Divorce lawyer Jacqueline Newman said Sudeikis may still be able to prevent Wilde from bringing their kids to permanently live in London if he moves to Los Angeles and not New York so that he could be present in their daily lives.

Wilde and Sudeikis started dating in 2011 and got engaged in 2013. A year later, Otis was born, and Daisy followed in 2016. The couple split in November 2020.