Olivia Wilde responds to criticism about her parenting: ‘I’ve never seen anyone say that about a guy’

‘When people see me not with my kids, it’s always “How dare she”,’ Wilde explains

(AFP via Getty Images)

Olivia Wilde has hit out at double standards for men and women over childcare in response to criticism she is not there for her children.

In a new interview, the Don’t Worry Darling director, 38, spoke to Variety about the idea that she does not spend enough time with her two children, Daisy, five, and Otis, eight.

“When people see me not with my kids, it’s always ‘How dare she,’” Wilde said. “I’ve never seen anyone say that about a guy. And if he is with his kid, he’s a f***ing hero.”

She also discussed having taken time away from work to focus on her children, explaining: “It became clear to me that this year was a time for me to be a stay-at-home mom.

“It was not the year for me to be on a set, which is totally all-encompassing.”

“It was time for me to pause and devote myself to the kids when I have them,” she added. “They are my world. They are my best friends.”

In the same interview, the actor spoke out the impact that splitting custody with her ex-husband Jason Sudeikis has had on their children.

In April, Wilde was presenting her forthcoming film to a crowd of film industry executives, when a court process server handed her custody papers.

At the time, Sudeikis said he had no prior knowledge that she was going to be served at the convention, saying he was “deeply upset” by the events and feels “great distress at the manner in which service was made”.

Speaking of the situation, Wilde told the magazine: “The only people who suffered were my kids.”

“Because they’ll have to see that, and they shouldn’t ever have to know that happened,” she explains. “For me, it was appalling, but the victims were an eight and five-year-old, and that’s really sad.”

“I chose to become an actress; I willingly walked into the spotlight. But it’s not something my children have asked for. And when my kids are dragged into it, it’s deeply painful.”