American singer-songwriter and actor Joe Jonas and ‘Game of Thrones’ star Sophie Turner are using mediation to settle their dispute over child custody, reported People.
Lawyers for the estranged couple announced in a hearing on October 3 that they are starting a four-day mediation on October 4 to settle difficulties in their divorce, including establishing custody and a parenting plan for their two children, Willa, 3, and Delphine, 14 months.
Although Judge Katherine Polk Failla set a January 2 trial date, the mediation aims to solve many of Turner, 27, and Jonas’ custody issues. In court, Turner’s lawyer Stephen Cullen claimed that Jonas, 34, is asking for joint custody, saying that “what he was looking for is a 50-50,” reported People.
“The parties are both seeing their children, which is what we all want,” Cullen later said. Judge Failla agreed with Cullen, saying that she “echo[es] concerns about the children” that he had brought up.
Despite high hopes for the mediation, Cullen said that the current case “should proceed in parallel track to [the] mediation.” Representatives for Jonas and Turner did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment regarding the mediation.
According to People, the mediation comes after Turner sued her estranged husband for wrongful retention, alleging that Jonas was withholding their passports and not allowing them to return to England. The complaint against the musician called for “the immediate return of children wrongfully removed or wrongfully retained”, with Turner’s legal team asserting the “wrongful retention” began on September 20.
Shortly after Turner filed her complaint, Jonas issued a statement refuting her claims and claiming that the two had agreed to collaborate on a co-parenting plan.
“After multiple conversations with Sophie, Joe initiated divorce proceedings in Florida, as Florida is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case,” the statement read. “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.”
“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.”
The statement also alleged that less than 24 hours after the “amicable co-parenting setup” was agreed upon, “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.” A few days later, the pair reached a temporary agreement to keep their two daughters in New York City, according to documents filed in New York and obtained by People.
The interim consent order states that Turner and Jonas were ordered to keep their kids in the Southern and Eastern districts of New York, which includes New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, reported People.
