Joe Jonas reacts after ex-wife Sophie Turner sues him for custody of their children

Sophie Turner sued her estranged pop star husband Joe Jonas on to force him to turn over the passports of the couple’s two young daughters so she can take them to England

American singer-songwriter and actor Joe Jonas has filed a response to Sophie Turner's lawsuit alleging wrongful retention of the couple's two children.

A spokesman for the musician, 34, in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Thursday responded to his estranged wife's lawsuit which alleged that Jonas was refusing to let the couple's two children, Willa, 3, and 14-month-old daughter return to England.

“After multiple conversations with Sophie, Joe initiated divorce proceedings in Florida, as Florida is the appropriate jurisdiction for the case. Sophie was aware that Joe was going to file for divorce. The Florida Court has already entered an order that restricts both parents from relocating the children. Sophie was served with this order on September 6, 2023, more than two weeks ago," the statement obtained by PEOPLE read.

“Joe and Sophie had a cordial meeting this past Sunday in New York when Sophie came to New York to be with the kids. They have been with her since that meeting. Joe’s impression of the meeting was that they had reached an understanding that they would work together towards an amicable co-parenting setup.”

The statement asserted that the musician is “seeking shared parenting with the kids so that they are raised by both their mother and father and is, of course, also okay with the kids being raised both in the US and the UK,” but also alleges that the children “have spent the vast majority of their lives in the U.S.”

“This is an unfortunate legal disagreement about a marriage that is sadly ending. When language like ‘abduction’ is used, it is misleading at best, and a serious abuse of the legal system at worst. The children were not abducted,” the statement said.

”After being in Joe’s care for the past three months at the agreement of both parties, the children are currently with their mother,” it said. ”Sophie is making this claim only to move the divorce proceedings to the UK and to remove the children from the U.S. permanently.”