By Marisa Laudadio
7:06pm PDT, Sep 21, 2023
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Barely two weeks after Joe Jonas filed to divorce Sophie Turner, their split has taken a dramatic turn: She's suing him for the return of their two children and revealing new details about their breakup.
On Sept. 21, the British actress filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan court seeking "the immediate return of children wrongfully removed or wrongfully retained," according to documents obtained by media outlets including The Messenger, which was the first to report the news.
The "Game of Thrones" actress is asking for a court order requiring Joe — who she says is unlawfully keeping their children with him in New York — to produce their daughters' passports and return the girls to her so she can take them to England, which she described as their "habitual residence."
Keep reading for more details on her bombshell lawsuit and Joe's lengthy response, plus all the details on their split so far…
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The battle over their kids: Details of the court filing
According to The Messenger, Sophie Turner's legal filing reveals that she and Joe met on Sept. 17 — nearly two weeks after he filed for divorce — to discuss their separation and during that conversation, "The Mother reiterated the parties' agreed plan for the children to return home to England that week. 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."
According to Sophie's filing, she and Joe had made the decision to look for their "forever home" in England over the Christmas holidays in 2022. "The parties agreed that the timing was right for the family to settle permanently in England, particularly given the older child's age," her filing states. "The parties were both excited for the family's move to England."
Both children are "fully involved and integrated in all aspects of daily and cultural life in England" and "participate in extracurricular activities, playdates, and cultural activities" there, Sophie explained.
According to a report from TMZ, her filing — which cites the Hague Convention, an international treaty that deals with child abduction across country lines — also revealed that "with some hesitation," Sophie and Joe agreed their children would stay with him while his band, the Jonas Brothers, toured America because she was busy shooting a "very intense" and time-consuming TV series in the U.K.
She said they agreed that when she finished filming in September, she'd return to New York to "collect the children and return home to England." Joe, she claimed, has since refused to honor that agreement.
According to The Messenger, Sophie and Joe were building a home in England that's set to be completed at the end of the year.
Sophie also revealed new information about the timing of their split and Joe's divorce filing…
MORE: Famous couples reveal how they met
How she found out he'd filed for divorce
In Sophie Turner's Sept. 21 court filing demanding estranged husband Joe Jonas return their children and their passports to her, she shared new information on their split.
According to Sophie's filing, as reported by The Messenger, "the breakdown of the parties' marriage happened very suddenly."
She and Joe had an argument on Aug. 15. That was Joe's 34th birthday. She said she then "found out through the media" that he "had filed for divorce" in early September.
Keep reading for Joe's lengthy response to Sophie's lawsuit…
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Read Joe's statement responding to Sophie's lawsuit
After Sophie Turner filed a lawsuit against estranged husband Joe Jonas over their daughters in a Manhattan court on Sept. 21, the Jonas Brothers singer's rep issued a lengthy statement to The Messenger:
"After multiple conversations with Sophie, Joe initiated divorce proceedings in Florida, as Florida is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case. Sophie was aware that Joe was going to file for divorce. The Florida Court has already entered an order that restricts both parents from relocating the children. Sophie was served with this order on September 6, 2023, more than two weeks ago," the statement began.
"Joe and Sophie had a cordial meeting this past Sunday [Sept. 17] in New York, when Sophie came to New York to be with the kids. 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. When language like 'abduction' is used, it is misleading at best, and a serious abuse of the legal system at worst. 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," the statement concluded.
When the drama started
The first reports of trouble in Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's marriage emerged over Labor Day weekend.
Within days, whispers of a split were confirmed when Joe, 34, filed for divorce in Miami on Sept. 5, marking the end of his four-year marriage to the "Game of Thrones" actress, 27, with whom he shares two daughters.
Before Joe filed, sources told TMZ that the young couple — who married in 2019 — had been having "serious problems" for the previous six months. According to TMZ, the Jonas Brothers singer had been caring for their kids "pretty much all of the time" over the last three months despite being in the midst of a tour with his siblings. Ultimately, their issues came to a head because, as one source told TMZ, "She likes to party, he likes to stay at home. They have very different lifestyles."
Keep reading for all the details — the divorce filing and prenup details, the joint split statement, the Ring camera bombshell, what allegedly went wrong, what changed for Sophie, and more about their split…
"Living separate lives for months"
Joe Jonas's Sept. 5 divorce filing was hardly a "surprise" to people close to him and Sophie Turner, a source close to the exes told People magazine, because the singer and the actress spent "the whole summer apart."
According to the source, "They were not separated but they've been living separate lives for months."
Joe and Sophie "haven't gotten along in a while," the source further claimed, "but they're hoping to resolve this all amicably."
What that looks like is unclear. "As far as custody goes, this literally all just happened, so they're figuring it out in real time," People's source explained. "They did have a prenup. As a family, they were based in Florida. The kids were with him the last few months, traveling with him with family while he's been on tour. Sophie's been working in the U.K."
Keep reading for the reasons behind their split…
"Feeling trapped"
On the same day Joe Jonas filed for divorce, DailyMail.com published a report speculating about what led him to end his marriage to Sophie Turner after four years and two children.
"Sophie feels like she's only just waking up to what her life and reality really is. She became famous at a very young age, then married and had kids at a young age and never really had the teenage years of sleeping around and just having carefree fun with friends," a source — allegedly a friend — told DailyMail.com. "She feels like her life has stalled after 'Game of Thrones' and so has her personal life. Since the kids came along, she's feeling trapped. She's the only person in her tight friendship group who is married with two children."
Sophie — who's now 27 and married Joe when she was 23 and he was 29 — had been working in her native U.K. all summer, which influenced things further, according to the friend. "Now she feels that she wants to make up for the time she's lost as a young person. [Joe] wants a more settled life but she's not ready for that because she feels that she's not even had a teen or young adult life," the friend added.
Keep reading for more reasons they ultimately split…
"The final nail in the coffin"
On Sept. 5, DailyMail.com reported on what led Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas's marriage to ultimately fail. In addition to Sophie "feeling trapped" (see previous slide), a friend claimed, there were other major points of contention for the couple: a clash over having more children, Sophie's homesickness and stress over comparisons to one of her sisters-in-law.
"Joe would like another kid, he's a real family man," said the friend. "But while Sophie's been in the U.K. [this summer working], she's also realized just how much she misses this country; it's the final nail in the coffin for them."
According to the friend, Sophie also felt pressure because she faced comparisons to actress sister-in-law Priyanka Chopra, 41, who's married to Joe's younger brother, musician-actor Nick Jonas, 30, with whom she shares a daughter. "His brother's wife is a lot older and mature, and the family compare Sophie to Priyanka, which has put [Sophie] under a lot of stress," the friend said. (Oldest Jonas Brothers band member Kevin Jonas, 36, has been married to Danielle Deleasa, 36 — they have two kids — since 2009.)
"Nick is younger than Joe but is more settled. He and Priyanka are on the same page about their careers and family life. Joe and his family want him to be in a relationship like this, but Sophie feels that she's only 27 and hasn't even really lived because she's spent all her good, young years working," the friend continued. "It wasn't an issue at first but the age gap between Sophie and Joe has become a real problem. They want very different things."
Keep reading for the "lynchpin to divorce"…
A mysterious Ring camera video
One day after Joe Jonas filed for divorce, TMZ reported that there was a last straw for the music star.
Citing sources who have direct contact with Joe, TMZ reported that the singer "had access to a Ring cam that he said captured Sophie [Turner] saying and/or doing something that made him realize the marriage was over," the webloid reported, calling the Ring incident the "lynchpin to divorce."
Keep reading for why their daughters have been living with Joe…
Why he has the kids
In Joe Jonas's divorce docs, it states that the daughters he shares with Sophie Turner have been "residing with their father" in Miami and other cities around the country, confirming reports that they've been on tour with him. Joe was also seen having breakfast with them at Sweet Butter Kitchen in Los Angeles's Sherman Oaks suburb the morning after his divorce filing. It's led some people to question why they haven't also been with their mother in recent days.
According to a Sept. 7 report from People magazine, the girls are with their dad because their mother has been working — reports note she's been shooting the upcoming TV series "Joan" in the U.K. — a source close to the former couple told the magazine, adding that the children have "more support" living with the singer in this moment.
Sophie, the source explained, "has been shooting which is why the kids have been with Joe. It's just been easier because she's been working for the kids to be with him because there's some more support at home and on the road with his family. It's something they both agreed was best."
Keep reading for details on what's in Joe's divorce filing…
The divorce filing
On Sept. 5, Today.com broke the news that Joe Jonas had filed for divorce in Florida's Miami Dade County. The petition says "the marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken."
Joe, who hired golf icon Tiger Woods' former divorce attorney, Tom Sasser, indicated that he and Sophie Turner have a prenuptial agreement, which should cover their division of assets. The Blast confirmed the former couple has an "ironclad" prenup: Joe will keep his music royalties from his work with both the Jonas Brothers and his other band, DNCE. Sophie keeps her residuals from "Game of Thrones" and her other acting projects. Any property acquired before the marriage stays with its original owner, though they'll have to split the value of their marital home.
But custody of their daughters — Willa was born in 2020, and a second girl, whose name has not been shared publicly, was born in 2022 — as well as where the girls will live will be determined by the court. According to TMZ, Joe is asking for joint custody and wants a judge to establish a parenting plan for him and Sophie that allows for "frequent and continuing contact with both parties." Joe also noted in his docs that the kids have been residing with him as well as "other locations throughout the United States," confirming recent reports that he's had them on tour with him.
TMZ reported that Joe touched on child support in his divorce docs, noting that he and Sophie can both afford to support their girls and should both be required to do so.
Keep reading for their joint statement…
Their joint statement
On Sept. 6, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner shared a joint statement on Instagram confirming their split.
"Statement from the two of us: After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage," they wrote.
"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."
How they met
Sophie Turner was not a fan of Joe Jonas's band when they met in 2016. "There was this band in the U.K. called Busted. They had a hit called 'Year 3000.' It was amazing, and [my friends and I] were huge Busted fans. Then the Jonas Brothers covered the song and made it massive. And Busted broke up. We thought it was all the Jonas Brothers' fault. So we hated them," the actress told ELLE magazine in 2020.
Then in 2016, a producer on one of her films who'd once lived next door to the JoBros told her, "You should meet Joe Jonas. I feel like you would really get along with this guy." A bit later, "I went to a meeting, and Joe's agent was in the room. And he was like, 'You remind me of one of my clients. I bet you two would really hit it off,'" she recalled.
Later in 2016, Sophie told ELLE, Joe DM'd her on Instagram out of the blue — he was going to be in Britain and wanted to meet up. "When I told my friends, they were like, 'That's hilarious. You have to do it! And you have to text us everything he says,'" she said. "I expected him to show up with security and everything. I thought, 'He's gonna be such a d***,'" she told ELLE. "I brought all my guy friends to come with me to meet him, because in the back of my mind I still worried that he could be a catfish — or I don't know what. I just wanted my guy friends with me. I had my rugby boys. I was safe."
They met at a bar in London's Camden area and Joe didn't bring security — just a friend — "and they drank just as hard as the rest of us," Sophie recalled. "I remember the two of us spending only a couple of minutes on the dance floor, and then we just found a space far in the corner and we just talked. We talked for hours and hours and hours. And I was, like, not bored. It wasn't contrived. It wasn't small talk — it was just so easy. And soon we were, like, inseparable. I went on tour with him."
Joe proposed on their one-year anniversary in 2017 and they wed — twice — in 2019. (More on that next!)
They had two weddings
After attending the Billboard Music Awards at Vegas's MGM Grand Garden Arena in May 2019, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner headed to the nearby Chapel L'Amour inside the Little White Wedding Chapel and exchanged vows in front of an Elvis impersonator. Joe's bandmate brothers, Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas, were there, and country duo Dan + Shay performed as Sophie walked down the aisle while DJ-producer Diplo livestreamed the nuptials on Instagram.
Joe and Sophie had a second, more elegant wedding ceremony at Chateau de Tourreau in France nearly two months later in June 2019.
