Olivia Wilde Addresses Online Critics Who Claim She Has 'Abandoned' Her Children

Olivia Wilde has opened up about how she feels when critics claim on social media that she has "abandoned" her children because she doesn't get photographed with them.

The 38-year-old actress shares two kids — Otis, 8, and Daisy, 6 — with her ex-fiancé Jason Sudeikis.

"I share custody of my kids with my ex," Wilde told Elle in an interview that was published Thursday. "If I'm photographed not with my kids, people assume I have abandoned them, like my kids are just somewhere in a hot car without me."

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

Wilde explained that the reason she doesn't take photos with her children is that she wants to keep them away from the spotlight.

"You know why you don't see me with my kids? Because I don't let them get photographed," she told the outlet. "Do you know the lengths that I go to protect my kids from being seen by you?"

Wilde was first linked with Sudeikis in 2011 after they met on the set of "Saturday Night Live." They got engaged in 2013 and welcomed their first baby in 2014. Their second child was born in 2016. However, they called it quits in 2020.

The actress was married to filmmaker Ruspoli from 2003 to 2011. She is now in a relationship with Harry Styles, whom she has been dating since January 2021.

Aside from her personal life, Wilde also talked about the rumored feud between her and actress Florence Pugh in the interview. They worked together in the movie "Don't Worry Darling," which was released on Sept. 23. Besides acting in the film, Wilde also served as its director.

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

The actress added that this was not why she became an actress or director. "No, that's actually not part of the job description. Never was," she said.