Highlights
- Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde have settled their child support dispute after a lengthy battle, with Sudeikis agreeing to pay $27,500/month based on their respective incomes.
- Despite initially appearing amicable after their breakup, Sudeikis publicly served Wilde with court papers during her presentation, causing tension between the former couple.
- The settlement comes after both parties addressed false accusations made by a former nanny, highlighting the ongoing challenges they faced in co-parenting their children.
An ongoing child support dispute betweenTed Lasso's titular star Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde has been settled after a protracted battle. Sudeikis and Wilde began dating in 2011, welcoming son Otis together in 2014, followed by daughter Daisy in 2016.
Although the couple were engaged for several years, they never made it to the altar. In November 2020, Sudeikis and Wilde confirmed they had "ended their engagement," and a source told People that the couple's "children are the priority and the heart of the family's relationship."
According to a timeline published by People, Sudeikis and Wilde initially appeared to have separated amicably:
"Days after PEOPLE reported their breakup, Sudeikis and Wilde were spotted hugging in Los Angeles, and the exes continued to support each other's respective projects. Sudeikis thanked Wilde in his acceptance speech after his hit Apple TV+ comedy series, Ted Lasso, swept the Critics Choice Awards, while Wilde congratulated him on the win via Twitter."
Appearances can be deceiving, however, and alliances in Hollywood can shift quickly. In April 2022, the famous former couple were in the news once again for what appeared to be a less than friendly interaction between the pair.
Wilde was on stage at an event called CinemaCon, doing a presentation about her then-upcoming film Don't Worry, Darling. During her appearance, Sudeikis had her publicly served with court papers related to their split, and Deadline reported:
"Like something out of a hackneyed Hollywood plot, the mysterious envelope picked up by Don’t Worry Darling director and star Olivia Wilde during her CinemaCon presentation last night for the New Line movie were legal documents from Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis. It is our understanding that the manila envelope marked 'personal and confidential,' which was placed onstage, were custody papers from the Emmy winner."
Later reporting by The Guardian indicated Sudeikis may have been unaware "the papers would be served in such a way," but damage from the high-profile incident had already been done. But in October 2022, the former couple seemed to put aside their differences to address what they said were "false and scurrilous" accusations made by a former nanny:
“As parents, it is incredibly upsetting to learn that a former nanny of our two young children would choose to make such false and scurrilous accusations about us publicly,” their joint statement provided to The Richest. “Her now 18 month long campaign of harassing us, as well as loved ones, close friends and colleagues, has reached its unfortunate apex.”
If Wilde and Sudeikis reached a detente in October 2022, it didn't last long. By April 2023, Wilde was claiming Sudeikis did not pay enough toward child support, leaving her to cover a larger share of costs related to their children (and despite his "superior" level of income):
"While Jason and I have been splitting certain expenses for the children, such as their school tuition, I have been bearing 100% of the costs of the children's care when they are with me, including, but not limited to, their food, clothing, childcare, extracurricular activities, and transportation costs[.]"
On September 25, Sudeikis and Wilde appeared to reach an agreement with respect to child support. Page Six cited court filings then-recently obtained, and reported:
"The Ted Lasso star [Sudeikis] has allegedly agreed to pay his ex [Wilde] $27,500 per month in child support for their two kids, Otis, 9, and Daisy, 6. This settlement – which comes nearly two years after the exes first entered into their legal battle – is said to be based on Sudeikis’ estimated 2023 income of $10.5 million and Wilde’s estimated income of $500,000."
An excerpt from the filing indicated the court deemed "that child support for the minor children in the amount of $27,500 per month is sufficient to maintain the needs of the minor children considering Jason’s station in life … [and] is consistent with each child’s best interest." Neither Sudeikis nor Wilde commented on the settlement, but the pair were spotted together at a soccer game the weekend before news of the settlement broke.