Olivia Wilde recalls Tom Cruise’s surprising comment on her custody papers drama
The actress says the experience ultimately left her stronger despite its public and emotional impact
Olivia Wilde is sharing Tom Cruise’s unexpectedly blunt reaction to one of the most widely discussed moments of her career — when she was served custody papers on stage at CinemaCon.
The 42-year-old actress and director revisited the incident during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, recalling the moment she was handed legal documents while promoting Don’t Worry Darling at the Las Vegas event in April 2022.
The papers were later linked to her custody arrangement with former partner Jason Sudeikis regarding their two children, Otis, 12, and Daisy, 9.
Wilde said the moment quickly spread beyond the room, despite attendees being told not to use phones during the presentation.
“I will never forget one of the most f***** up things I went through, among so many, was that I was served papers on stage,” she said. “Obviously, it was incredibly traumatising.”
She added that she pushed through her presentation before breaking down once she was backstage.
“I get through it because, weirdly, as women we’re taught to muscle through the most insane experiences. I was like, ‘Just finish your speech,’” she said. “Got through it, went backstage [and] completely dissolved into a puddle.”
Wilde said she later learned how widely the moment had circulated and was surprised when it came up months afterward in a conversation with Tom Cruise.
“A couple months later, I had the chance to meet Tom Cruise,” she said. “And he was like, ‘Hi, I’m Tom. F***** up what happened to you in Vegas.’ I was like, ‘No!’”
Despite the distress of the experience, Wilde said she ultimately came away with a stronger sense of resilience.
“Once you make it through things like that, you kind of feel like you can make it through anything,” she said.
She also reflected on the legal situation surrounding the incident, saying she now believes Jason Sudeikis may not have intended for the moment to unfold in the way it did.
“He has told me that he did not know. I need to believe that in order to continue,” Wilde said.