Olivia Wilde responds to accusations she 'abandoned' her children

Olivia Wilde says she's been plagued by "untruths" since she split from her kids' father. Photo / AP

Olivia Wilde says people assume she has "abandoned" her two children.

The film director, 38, added she refuses to accept creating a film means her life can be "torn to shreds" by public scrutiny, and said she has been plagued by "untruths".

Wilde, who has son 8-year-old Otis and 6-year-old daughter Daisy with her former partner, Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis, 47, told ELLE magazine's new Women in Hollywood issue: "I share custody of my kids with my ex. People assume I have abandoned my kids, like my kids are just somewhere in a hot car without me.

"The suggestion is that I have abandoned my role as a mother."

Wilde added the public does not see her with her kids as she "doesn't let them get photographed", saying: "Do you know the lengths that I go to to protect my kids from being seen by you?"

Wilde and Sudeikis got engaged in 2013, before having Otis the following year and Daisy in 2016.

They announced they had split in November 2020, with Wilde going public with her relationship with singer and actor Harry Styles, 28, in 2021.

Wilde and Sudeikis' subsequent battle over custody of the kids saw the actress served papers in April while she was on stage speaking at CinemaCon – a move she branded "appalling" and "vicious".

There have been rumours of a rift between Wilde and actress Florence Pugh, 26, who was said to be upset by the director's relationship with Styles on the set of Don't Worry Darling.

There have been rumours of a rift between Wilde and Don't Worry Darling actress Florence Pugh. Photo / AP

Wilde said: "It is shocking to see so many untruths about yourself traded as fact.

"Florence had a really wise comment that we didn't sign up for a reality show. And I love that she put it that way, because it's as though the general public feels that if you are making something that you're selling to the public, you somehow have accepted that your life will be torn to shreds by a pack of wolves.

"No, that's actually not part of the job description. Never was."