Olivia Wilde takes swipe at ex Jason Sudeikis after being served custody papers at CinemaCon

Wilde was unexpectedly served custody papers on stage at convention in April

Olivia Wilde has broken her silence on being served custody papers by her ex-fiancé Jason Sudeikis while on stage at CinemaCon, calling it a “sabotage” attempt.

In April, the 38-year-old director was presenting her forthcoming Harry Styles-led thriller Don’t Worry Darling – expected to release on 23 September – 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”.

In a new interview, Wilde implied that Sudeikis was behind the “attack”.

“It was my workplace,” she told Variety. “In any other workplace, it would be seen as an attack. It was really upsetting. It shouldn’t have been able to happen.”

She went on to say that it is “deeply painful” that the two children she and Sudeikis share – Otis, eight, and Daisy, five – were involved in a public matter that should have been kept private.

“There was a huge breach in security, which is really scary. The hurdles that you had to jump through to get into that room with several badges, plus special Covid tests that had to be taken days in advance, which gave you wristbands that were necessary to gain access to the event – this was something that required forethought,” Wilde added.

Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde (Getty Images for IFP)

In a prior declaration at court, Sudeikis had explained that the server was unable to serve Wilde at the intended location of Heathrow Airport due to multiple logistical mishaps.

In a second failed attempt to serve her at the Las Vegas hotel where the event was located, the server then “noticed Olivia at the Warner Brothers Panel and proceeded to serve the Summons and Petition upon Olivia”.

“I hated that this nastiness distracted from the work of so many different people and the studio that I was up there representing,” Wilde said. “To try to sabotage that was really vicious. But I had a job to do; I’m not easily distracted.”

She added: “But, you know, sadly, it was not something that was entirely surprising to me. I mean, there’s a reason I left that relationship.”

The Independent has contacted Sudeikis for further comment.

Wilde has since won the custody battle over their children. Sudeikis originally wanted their two children to live with him in New York, but a judge declared that their home state is California and his claim was dismissed, according to papers seen by Page Six.

The former couple ended their relationship in November 2020, following a seven-year engagement. Wilde is currently dating Styles, who recently defended her against online abuse.