Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner say they’ve reached custody agreement after ‘productive and successful mediation’

The couple started four-day mediation to handle custody of their children last week

Brittany Miller
New York
Tuesday 10 October 2023 23:00 BST
Comments
Related: Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s best relationship moments as divorce confirmed
Leer en Español

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have reached an agreement regarding the custody of their two daughters following a period of mediation.

According to court documents obtained by both Page Six andTMZ, the estranged couple believed an “amicable resolution on all issues between them is forthcoming”. Jonas and Turner started a four-day mediation last week on Wednesday 4 October. Now, a temporary agreement has been made for the rest of the year.

In a joint statement to People, the couple said, “After a productive and successful mediation, we have agreed that the children will spend time equally in loving homes in both the US and the UK. We look forward to being great co-parents,”

The girls, three-year-old Willa and a one-year-old, will be staying with the Game of Thrones star from 9 October to 21 October. During this time period, she is allowed to travel throughout the US or the UK.

Their daughters will be given to Jonas on 21 October and will stay with him until 2 November.

Custody will continue to be handed off between the two of them until 7 January 2024. Holidays will also be split, as Jonas will have the girls for Thanksgiving and they will then spend Christmas with their mother.

The mediation came after Turner sued Jonas for the wrongful retention of their children, and alleged that Jonas had been withholding their passports to prevent their return to England. In the complaint filed against the musician, Turner’s lawyers called for “the immediate return of children wrongfully removed or wrongfully retained,” and asserted the “wrongful retention” began 20 September.

A representative for Jonas dismissed this claim in an email statement to The Independent, where they said the singer is “okay” with his daughters being raised in the two countries.

The court documents state that the former couple had made England their permanent residence in April 2023 due to a desire to have their children attend school in England. According to the filing, the Jonas Brothers singer and the Game of Thrones star moved into a rental in May 2023 with a plan to move into a permanent home in December 2023.

Amid the court proceedings it was decided that the couple’s two children would temporarily stay in New York. During that time period Taylor Swift, who previously dated Jonas back in 2008, reportedly allowed Turner and her daughters to stay in her New York City apartment.

Jonas ultimately filed a petition for dissolution of marriage in Miami Dade County, Florida, on 1 September. Per the court documents, Turner allegedly learned about the divorce filing through the media, when it was reported on 5 September.

Although an agreement on where the children will stay has temporarily been reached, Jonas and Turner have not yet agreed on where to hold their divorce proceedings. Jonas is aiming for their case to be heard in the US while Turner wants the case to take place in England, where she wants her two daughters to live, Page Six reported.

Jonas and Turner formally announced their divorce in a joint statement on 6 September, telling fans that they have “mutually decided to amicably end” their marriage.

“After four years of wonderful marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage,” read the statement, which was posted to their respective Instagram accounts. “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 Independent has reached out to representatives for Turner and Jonas for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in