Jason Sudeikis says the public never had the full picture of his breakup with Olivia Wilde.
The "Ted Lasso" star reflected on the scrutiny surrounding their separation during the Oct. 18 episode of "Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso." When asked what coverage of the split had missed, Sudeikis suggested there were plenty of details the audience knew nothing about.
"Oh, gosh. I mean, a million little things," he said to Fragoso.
Sudeikis said the experience had deepened his empathy for others facing similar scrutiny. He questioned the tendency to frame personal conflicts as a contest between one person who's right and the other who's wrong.
"I don't wish it on anyone, because I don't think
it really moves the needle," Sudeikis continued. "And to be clear, this isn't, like, all evil is just misunderstood or something like that. I just mean these interpersonal situations that then get portrayed as being these binary situations of right and wrong … it's always more complicated, more human than that."
Sudeikis then praised Wilde for her work and career, saying she loves what she does and has always been talented.
"I'm thrilled for her," he added.
Olivia Wilde pinpoints the moment she knew their relationship was over
Wilde and Sudeikis began dating in 2011, and news of their split broke in November 2020, after a seven-year engagement. They share two children, Otis, 12, and Daisy, 10.
In June, Wilde discussed the breakup on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, recalling a conversation on her 36th birthday in March 2020.
Wilde said she asked Sudeikis whether he had gotten her a birthday gift and his response, she recalled, was the deciding factor.
"Jason and I had been having a rough time of it for a while," she said. "We had a real bumpy, bumpy ride. We were driving home from my birthday party my friends had had, and I said, 'Did you get me a birthday present?' And he said, 'What would I get you, Olivia? I don't know you.' And he wasn't wrong. We didn't know each other anymore."
She said COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns soon complicated their plans to separate, keeping them together longer than expected.
Olivia Wilde was served custody papers at CinemaCon
Their family situation drew further attention in April 2022, when Wilde was handed custody-related documents while presenting "Don't Worry Darling" at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY at the time that Sudeikis didn't know when or where the papers would be delivered and would not have approved of that setting.
During her "Call Her Daddy" podcast appearance, Wilde described the incident as "incredibly traumatizing." She also said Sudeikis told her he did not know where she would be served and felt "very, very bad" about it.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jason Sudeikis reflects on 'complicated' truth behind Olivia Wilde split
