Sophie Turner Clears Up What She Meant When She Said "Single Mom"

Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner wants to clarify something she said during an interview with The Sunday Times while promoting her new series Joan (which is about a single mother and jewel thief).

In the interview, she said, “If I hadn’t been a mother, I don’t know if I would have been able to bring the same energy that I did into it,” she said during the interview, later adding that “It’s such a struggle being a single mother. Joan doesn’t go about it in the best way … but it is amazing to see her really fighting for her daughter. It’s also really important for kids to see just how hard parents work for them.”

After the quote caught wind, several news outlets picked up the story, running headlines presuming that Turner had referred to herself as a “single mom.” This prompted some to call out Turner for seemingly identifying as a single mom, noting she has paid help as well and her kid’s father is still very much in the picture.

Turner later clarified her statement on Instagram, writing, “I have been widely misquoted today in publications where I have ‘stated’ that ‘it’s such a struggle being a single mother.’ I’d like to clarify that I was talking about the character of Joan that I play and was not referring to myself, which is obvious from the original interview in the Sunday Times Culture section. I am very fortunate personally to have a lot of help around me, which is not the case for a lot of people — I applaud single mothers doing it alone.”

Turner was in the midst of filming Joan when her former husband, singer Joe Jonas, filed for divorce in September 2023.

According to Turner, “The series came around at a time in my life where I had to be ambitious and I had to have such strong will and fight against the forces. She gave me a lot of strength. She also taught me how to do a good ring swap in a handbag.”

“There’s so much shame that comes with motherhood. You go to work, you’re shamed. If you don’t go to work, you’re shamed.”

Turner and Jonas share two daughters, Willa, 4, and Delphine, 2 — and while their custody battle was reportedly a bit tense, they were ultimately able to work things out in mediation. A source recently told People, “They turned things around from the initial messy custody battle. They are friendly and great co-parents now.”

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