Olivia Wilde is getting real about the ups and downs of being a single mom.
The Don’t Worry Daring director, 38, opened up to Kelly Clarkson on Tuesday’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show about how she and ex-husband Jason Sudeikis are approaching the split when it comes to their two children — son Otis, 8, and daughter Daisy, 5.
“It’s tough,” Wilde said of life post-divorce. “I think reshaping a family is tricky.”
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Though Wilde admits the separation has been hard for her, there is a silver lining.
“The one benefit is it’s allowed for some really deep conversation with my kids about emotions, about happiness and about what family means, and love,” she explained. “It’s actually allowed me to get to know them in a different way. My priority is them, like, that’s what it is. As long as they’re happy and they’re healthy then, you know, my ex and I, we agree [that] they are everything to us.”
She added, “There are so many families who are blended and in different shapes. If you can surround kids with so much love, then it’s OK. But, you know, it’s tricky because we’re not doing it in private.”
Though Wilde and Sudeikis split in November 2020, their ongoing divorce — including a messy custody battle — has been the cause for salacious headlines over the last few months as the up-and-coming director has been promoting her latest film.
Wilde, who is currently dating Harry Styles, recently had to clear up rumors surrounding her new relationship — including speculation that she left Sudeikis for Styles.
“The complete horses—t idea that I left Jason for Harry is completely inaccurate,” she told Vanity Fair this month. “Our relationship was over long before I met Harry.”
“Like any relationship that ends, it doesn’t end overnight,” she added of the split. “Unfortunately, Jason and I had a very bumpy road and we dissolved the relationship towards the beginning of the pandemic.”
Wilde has, in the past, been open about the love she has for her little ones, as well as her views on parenting.
In June, the actress posted an emotional message on her Instagram Stories, emphasizing the struggle and rewards being a mom can bring.
“I know it’s hard now and you sometimes feel like a huge f–king failure,” she wrote alongside a sweet note that one of her kids left her.
“But,” she continued, “soon they’ll wake up before you and write thoughtful notes. Stay strong.”
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