Jason Sudeikis and ex-partner Olivia Wilde are being sued by their former nanny, who says working for them was “debilitating” and caused her “extreme anxiety”.
Ericka Genaro said she suffered issues with her mental health after the couple’s separation in 2020, as she had to “ostensibly pick sides” between the two parents.
The claim was made in court documents filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday, obtained by the PA news agency.
“Wilde’s sudden absence from the home had an adverse consequence on its emotional state, including Sudeikis leaning on the presence of (Ms Genaro) for support,” the complaint said.
‘Anxious and stressed’
It also stated that Ms Genaro became increasingly “anxious and stressed” by Sudeikis’s tendency to require her to “stay up at night after the kids were put to bed to talk”.
The “late-night conversations” are said to have included the Ted Lasso actor “speaking about Wilde“, which saw the nanny suffer from “extreme anxiety”.
Ms Genaro “felt compelled to engage” in the conversations and that she had to “pick sides” between the Hollywood stars because she was “ostensibly the primary caretaker” of their children.
Sudeikis and film director Wilde share two children together, son Otis Alexander and Daisy Josephine.
The filing said that Ms Genaro’s anxiety over the preceding months had continued to “boil up” and it had been exacerbated by media coverage of the couple’s separation after nearly 10 years together.
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Ms Genaro later alleged that after informing Sudeikis of the need for a three-day medical leave of absence, recommended to her by a doctor, the actor had “terminated her on the spot”.
The document stated that Ms Genaro believes she was sacked because of her mental health and absence request.
Ms Genaro has filed a case for wrongful termination on the grounds of discrimination on the basis of disability.
Sky News contacted representatives for Wilde and Sudeikis for comment.
A representative for Sudeikis highlighted the joint statement made by the former couple in October.
“As parents, it is incredibly upsetting to learn that a former nanny of our two young children would choose to make such false and scurrilous accusations about us publicly,” they said.
“Her now 18-month-long campaign of harassing us, as well as loved ones, close friends and colleagues, has reached its unfortunate apex. We will continue to focus on raising and protecting our children with the sincere hope that she will now choose to leave our family alone.”