Joe Jonas has fired back at Sophie Turner, saying Sophie is the one who has crossed the line, violating an order by a Florida judge by trying to take their kids permanently to England.
Joe's rep just issued a lengthy statement, in response to Sophie's claim Joe has "abducted" their kids by refusing to hand over their passports so they can return to England per their agreement.
Joe's response ... "After multiple conversations with Sophie, Joe initiated divorce proceedings in Florida, as Florida is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case. Sophie was aware that Joe was going to file for divorce. The Florida Court has already entered an order that restricts both parents from relocating the children. Sophie was served with this order on September 6, 2023, more than two weeks ago."
So, Joe is saying Sophie's position would squarely violate the Florida order keeping the kids where they are.
He also makes it clear ... although he believes the kids' home is in the United States, he's open to sharing custody with her, even if she moves permanently to England. "Joe is seeking shared parenting with the kids so that they are raised by both their mother and father, and is of course also okay with the kids being raised both in the U.S. and the UK. The children were born in the U.S. and have spent the vast majority of their lives in the U.S. They are American citizens."
Joe's rep says their team is surprised by Sophie's latest move ... "Joe and Sophie had a cordial meeting this past Sunday in New York, when Sophie came to New York to be with the kids. They have been with her since that meeting. Joe's impression of the meeting was that they had reached an understanding that they would work together towards an amicable co-parenting setup."
And then, the turn ... "Less than 24 hours later, Sophie advised that she wanted to take the children permanently to the UK. Thereafter, she demanded via this filing that Joe hand over the children’s passports so that she could take them out of the country immediately. If he complies, Joe will be in violation of the Florida Court order."
Joe also takes issue with the allegation he is effectively abducting the kids ... "This is an unfortunate legal disagreement about a marriage that is sadly ending. When language like "abduction" is used, it is misleading at best, and a serious abuse of the legal system at worst. The children were not abducted. After being in Joe's care for the past three months at the agreement of both parties, the children are currently with their mother. Sophie is making this claim only to move the divorce proceedings to the UK and to remove the children from the U.S. permanently."
The legal reality ... now that they are no longer a family living together, their deal is not binding on the divorce judge. The North Star for divorce judges is what is in the best interests of the children.