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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Entertainment
Christi Carras

Olivia Wilde files motion to dismiss Jason Sudeikis' custody papers served at CinemaCon

Olivia Wilde has filed a motion to dismiss a custody petition leveled by her former partner, Jason Sudeikis, and infamously delivered to her onstage at CinemaCon earlier this year.

According to court documents obtained and summarized Wednesday by the Daily Mail, the "Booksmart" director has accused the "Ted Lasso" star of intending to "embarrass" and "threaten" her by publicly serving her custody papers during the industry event in Las Vegas.

In a statement in April, a source close to Sudeikis claimed that the actor "had no prior knowledge of the time or place that the envelope would have been" given to Wilde and that he would "never condone her being served in such an inappropriate manner."

Wilde's motion to dismiss the petition comes a few months after the filmmaker was presented with a mysterious manila envelope while she was in the middle of introducing her sophomore film, "Don't Worry Darling," in front of thousands of her Hollywood peers and journalists at CinemaCon. The candid moment sparked a flurry of speculation as to what was in the package cryptically marked "Personal and Confidential."

It was later revealed that the mystery envelope contained a custody petition Sudeikis drafted after Wilde denied his request to relocate their children to New York temporarily while he was spending time off work there, her motion alleges.

"When I did not agree, since the children have not lived in New York for several years, Jason filed these papers," Wilde said in her complaint, according to the Daily Mail.

Sudeikis and Wilde were engaged for more than seven years before splitting in early 2020. They never married but share two young children, Otis and Daisy. Wilde has since been romantically linked to pop musician and actor Harry Styles, whom she directed in "Don't Worry Darling."

"Jason's actions were clearly intended to threaten me and catch me off guard," Wilde said in her complaint, according to the Daily Mail. "He could have served me discreetly, but instead he chose to serve me in the most aggressive manner possible."

In recent years, Wilde and Sudeikis have reportedly been splitting their time between Los Angeles, New York and London, where "Ted Lasso" is filmed and Styles is based. Per the ex-couple's dueling legal docs, Sudeikis wants the kids to stay with him in New York, while Wilde wants them to live with her in L.A. before officially relocating to London with her late next year.

Meanwhile, Sudeikis has apparently doubled down on his claim that he wasn't trying to humiliate Wilde at CinemaCon. The Daily Mail reported that Sudeikis tried to avoid serving her the custody petition at the residence of her "current partner," Styles, where their kids might be present. Nor did he want the process server to approach her at their children's school with other parents in the vicinity.

Sudeikis maintains that the processor attempted to serve Wilde at her hotel in Las Vegas, but failed and changed tack upon recognizing Wilde onstage during the Warner Bros. presentation at CinemaCon.

"I understand that the process server had only done her job; however, I deeply regret what happened," Sudeikis added, according to the Daily Mail.

"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."

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