Sophie Turner is suing her ex-husband, Joe Jonas, just two weeks after he filed for divorce and they announced their mutual separation. New court documents, which have since been made public, reveal that the 27-year-old actress is requesting he return their two minor children to England immediately.
The lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York on Thursday (September 21) and claims their two daughters – a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old – have been ‘wrongfully retained in New York City’ since Wednesday. Sophie wants them returned to their primary residence, which is in the English countryside.
As of right now, Sophie Turner is in New York City with her two daughters, but she claims that Joe Jonas is refusing to turn over the children’s passports – which are needed if she were to bring them back to England. She describes his refusal as ‘a breach of the Mother’s rights of custody under English law.’
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The former couple originally made the move to England in May and purchased a long-term rental with the intention of purchasing a home and making England their permanent ‘forever home.’ They had entered contracts to purchase a home in July and even had a plan to move into the new residence in December.
Of course, those plans changed earlier this month when Jonas filed for divorce – a move that blindsided Turner. In fact, she claims she first learned of the divorce on September 5 and found out about it through the media – like the rest of us. They eventually met to discuss the divorce, which is why Sophie is in NYC.
While the divorce filing came well before the couple moved into the alleged permanent residence, England is still listed as the primary residence for both of their daughters – which is why Sophie Turner filed an application with the Central Authority for England and Wales for her daughters’ return to England.
According to NBC News, Sophie ‘never consented or acquiesced to the removal of the children from England.’ She filed the petition ‘through the child abduction clauses of the Hague Convention’ – which was established to ensure kids are returned to their ‘habitual residence’ when taken out of the country.
Sophie Turner Says She and Joe Jonas Had an Argument on August 15
In the petition, Sophie Turner detailed how she and Joe Jonas agreed to arrangements that would allow their two daughters to travel with him (and a nanny) while he toured the country with his brothers. They thought it would be the best-case scenario because she was busy filming a new drama series in the UK.
As part of those arrangements, the children would stay with Joe and his immediate family until filming came to a conclusion – which was scheduled to end in mid-September. At that time, she would travel to New York City, pick up their two kids, and return to England so they could get back to their daily routine.
On August 15, the former couple got into an argument and Joe filed for divorce two weeks later. Sophie then flew to NYC on September 17 – sticking to the original plan – but that’s when Joe refused to give her the kids’ passports following a discussion about the divorce. Now, she’s being forced to take legal action.
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The petition also explains that, while the children have dual citizenship in the UK and the US, their kids have ‘fully involved and integrated’ into a lifestyle in England. Not only does their older daughter go to school in the English countryside, but their younger daughter is ‘involved in playdates’ in England.
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