Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner release joint statement following custody agreement
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner released a joint statement on October 11 regarding the custody of their two daughters following three days of mediation.
“After a productive and successful mediation, we have agreed that the children will spend time equally in loving homes in both the U.S. and the UK. We look forward to being great co-parents,” the former couple told Us Weekly.
According to legal documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner held a number of mediation meetings from October 4-7, with the former couple stating that they believe "that an amicable resolution on all issues between them is forthcoming."
Following the mediation, the couple have arranged an interim custody agreement for their two daughters, Willa, 3, and Delphine, 1. Court documents obtained by the publication state that the couple will share custody in two-weekly increments.
Under the current arrangement, Joe will be caring for his daughters until November 2. Following that date, the couple's children will travel to New York with their nanny to stay with Sophie until November 22 before joining Joe again on December 16.
Sophie will reportedly have custody of her children over the Christmas period until January 7, 2024, with the court allowing both Joe and Sophie freedom to travel with their daughters anywhere across the U.S. and UK.
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner attend court hearing in New York
On October 4, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner attended their second court hearing in New York City.
Prior to the hearing, Sophie was photographed leaving Taylor Swift's NYC residence, confirming prior rumours that the two famous friends had been living together in the wake of Sophie and Joe's split.
The couple arrived separately to the hearing accompanied by their legal teams, with the Daily Mail reporting that the former couple are anticipated to spend over a week in the mediation process in order to reach a final custody agreement.
Earlier that week, Joe was notably absent from the couple's virtual hearing, with his legal representatives reportedly telling the judge that he is seeking a 50/50 custody agreement.
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's youngest daughter's name revealed
Following the birth of their second child in July 2022, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have kept their youngest daughter's name private however, amidst the couple's ongoing custody battle, her name has been inadvertently made public.
Throughout the suit, the couple's youngest child had previously been referred to as DMJ, with new documents obtained by Page Six revealing their one-year-old daughter's name as Delphine.
The publication also revealed that Sophie has requested that the judge place their divorce proceedings on hold until the couple can reach a final custody agreement; allegedly claiming that her children are subjects of an "international child abduction" case.
Sophie Turner Sues Joe Jonas
Sophie filed a lawsuit in New York, accusing her ex-partner of “wrongful retention” of the couple’s two kids.
“The Father has prevented the children’s return to England, which is a breach of the Mother’s rights of custody under English law, England being the children’s habitual residence,” the suit says.
The pair allegedly had an agreement that Sophie (who has recently finished filming her latest project in the UK) would travel to New York to collect her daughters. However, the lawsuit claims this plan changed when Sophie arrived on September 17.
According to the documents obtained by People Magazine, "The Father has possession of the children’s passports. He refuses to return the passports to the Mother and refuses to send the children home to England with the Mother."
The lawsuit also reportedly claims that Sophie learnt of their divorce proceedings online, four days after Joe filed for separation.
"The parties had an argument on August 15, 2023," the document stated. "On or about September 1, 2023, the Father filed a divorce case against the Mother in Florida. On or about September 5, 2023, the Mother found out through the media that the Father had filed for divorce."
Sophie Turner on Moving to England
Following the lawsuit, Joe's own representatives have released a lengthy statement refuting the claims, as per Entertainment Tonight.
Joe's representatives have said "the children were born in the U.S. and have spent the vast majority of their lives in the U.S. They are American citizens," adding that Sophie is "making this claim only to move the divorce proceedings to the UK and to remove the children from the U.S. permanently."
However, according to Sophie's suit, the family agreed to make England their "forever home" in conversations held during Christmas of 2022. They sold their Miami home and were in the process of buying a home in the English countryside in April 2023.
The actress says she had "some hesitation" in agreeing to let the girls stay with Joe while he toured the US, as she had to remain in England to film the new miniseries Joan.
The documents state that their relocation to the US during the tour was a "temporary arrangement" because Joe would have more "daytime hours" to be available to their girls.
Her legal documents included a list of all activities in which the kids have engaged in England.
Sophie previously addressed her desire to move back to England with her family.
“I miss England so much,” she said in an interview with Elle UK published in May of 2022. “The people, the attitude, everything. I’m slowly dragging my husband back. I really love living in America but, for my mental health, I have to be around my friends and my family.”
“And also for my daughter ― I would love her to get the education and school life that I was so lucky to have,” added the actor, who at the time was pregnant with her second daughter. “England would ideally be the final destination, but [Joe] might take quite a bit of convincing!”
As per Sophie's legal documents, Joe and Sophie had agreed to relocate to England and had begun the process earlier this year.
Joe Jonas Responds to Law Suit
“Joe and Sophie had a cordial meeting this past Sunday in New York, when Sophie came to New York to be with the kids," the statement began. "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.
“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. If he complies, Joe will be in violation of the Florida Court order.
“Joe 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. The children were born in the U.S. and have spent the vast majority of their lives in the U.S. They are American citizens.
“This is an unfortunate legal disagreement about a marriage that is sadly ending. 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. Sophie is making this claim only to move the divorce proceedings to the UK and to remove the children from the U.S. permanently.
“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… move forward in a more constructive and private manner. His only concern is the well-being of his children.”
Sophie has not publicly released comments or statements about their split, either personally or via representative. The news regarding the children's passports has been obtained via official court documents.
Sophie Turner and Taylor Swift
The latest twist in the celebrity divorce comes just days after Sophie stepped out arm-in-arm with none other than Taylor Swift.
The not-so-subtle move sent Swiftites and Jonas Brothers fans into a tailspin as Taylor Swift and Joe dated briefly in 2008. Although the pair were only together a few months, the relationship was highly publicised and the pair went on to each pen songs about their short-lived fling.
In recent years both Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas have rekindled their friendship, however, her girl's night out with his ex-wife has left fans with many questions.
Sophie Turner’s Remarks About Being A "Homebody" Resurface
After TMZ alleged Sophie's "partying" played a part in the breakdown of their marriage, fans leapt to the defence of the actress.
"[Turner] likes to party, he likes to stay at home. They have very different lifestyles," an alleged source told the publication, with reports popping up across news outlets sharing the quotes.
An old video of Sophie and Joe on TikTok went viral, with both of them calling her the "homebody" in the relationship.
An interview with Conan O'Brien in April 2020 also resurfaced, with Sophie confessing she was “kind of loving” being in quarantine.
When the host asked if Sophie liked the “business of staying home,” she replied: “Yeah, I’m an introvert. I’m a homebody. I’m just like, if I could stay home all day I would, so this is great for me.”
Joe Breaks Silence on "Crazy Week"
Whilst Sophie has remained tight-lipped on her divorce, Joe addressed his "crazy week" at his first concert since confirming his divorce from Sophie Turner on September 10.
"It's been a crazy week," Joe, who did not wear a wedding ring, told the crowd at the Jonas Brothers' concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
"I just want to say, look, if you don't hear it from these lips," he continued, pointing at his lips, "don't believe it. OK? Thank you everyone for the love and support to me and my family."
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner Confirm Divorce
Joe and Sophie took to Instagram four days prior to his concert with a joint statement to confirm they were divorcing after four years of marriage.
"After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage," the statement began.
"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."
The statement came just a day after news broke that Joe Jonas had reportedly filed for divorce.
According to TODAY.com, documents exclusively obtained by the publication detail that Joe Jonas filed a petition for dissolution of marriage on September 5, 2023, in Miami, Flordia.
The petition reportedly states that "the marriage between the couple is irretrievably broken," with TMZ also reporting that Jonas has hired celebrity lawyer Tom Sasser, who is known for his role in Tiger Woods' divorce proceedings, to represent him during the couple's legal separation.
Jonas' petition for divorce also reportedly details the living arrangements of the couple's two young daughters. According to TODAY.com, the petition confirms previous speculation Jonas has been the primary caregiver of the couple's children while he has been involved in the Jonas Brothers' U.S. tour.
The petition reportedly also outlines that although the couple's children may be spending the predominant amount of time with their father, "it is in the best interests of the minor children that the parties have shared parental responsibility."
Confirmation of the couple's divorce comes less than two days after TMZ first reported that Jonas and Turner were "on the cusp" of divorce, with sources telling the publication that the couple has faced "serious problems" for the last six months of their marriage.
Sources speaking to TMZ also previously claimed that Jonas had been in contact with "at least two" divorce lawyers in Los Angeles, with speculation surrounding the couple's relationship first arising in early August 2023 following a paparazzi snap of Jonas in New York without his wedding ring.
Following the initial reports of the couple's divorce on September 4, Joe was spotted wearing his wedding ring while on stage at the Jonas Brothers concert in Austin, Texas.
Eagle-eyed fans of the singer also spotted that the 34-year-old was wearing his ring in a Labor Day celebration post to the Jonas Brothers' Instagram account, with many fans being quick to dismiss any rumours surrounding the couple's divorce.
"When people travel many times, their fingers swell and have to take them [rings] off. It's not always that deep," wrote one fan.
"Not me coming from TikTok to see this post [because] of a stupid divorce rumour. [You] can't believe everything you see online guys," added another.
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's Relationship History
The reported confirmation of Joe and Sophie's divorce comes just over four years since the couple first tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in the South of France, with the couple keeping the details of their nuptials a secret until their second anniversary.
"2 years as your wife holy moly I love you bub," Turner wrote to Instagram at the time; offering fans the first long-awaited glimpse of their fairytale wedding.
The couple also tied the knot for a second time in 2019, with the couple celebrating their romance with a shot-gun wedding in Las Vegas.
"Marriage is a private thing between two people and I think that's how it should always be... It's about being husband and wife and being dedicated to each other forever," Turner previously told Porter.
"It's tricky [to keep their wedding secret] when people livestream it," she joked, with the couple's close friend Diplo Instagram live-streaming the Vegas nuptials to his over six million followers without their knowledge.