Sophie Turner is offering clarity on her comments from a recent interview in which she described the “struggle” of being a single parent.
Turner, 28, took to her Instagram Story on Monday, September 30, claiming she was “widely misquoted” after speaking to the U.K.’s Sunday Times about her upcoming series, Joan. Turner plays the titular character, Joan Hannington, a notorious jewel thief who turned to crime in an attempt to get her daughter out of foster care after leaving an abusive relationship.
“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,” Turner told the outlet. “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.”
Instead of speaking about her own experience as a parent — Turner shares daughters Willa, 4, and Delphine, 2, with ex-husband Joe Jonas — the actress explained on Monday that she was discussing her character, which she said was an “obvious” distinction.
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“I am very fortunate personally to have a lot of help around me, which is not the case for a lot of people,” her Instagram Story continued. “I applaud all single mothers doing it alone.”
Elsewhere in her interview, Turner spoke candidly about the “shame that comes with motherhood,” noting, “You go to work, you’re shamed. If you don’t go to work, you’re shamed.” She further expressed that working on the ITV series “changed [her] quite a lot.”
“From utter desperation comes so much will and ambition. 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,” Turner said. “[Joan] gave me a lot of strength. She also taught me how to do a good ring swap in a handbag.”
Turner has been outspoken in the past about experiencing mom-shaming in the public eye, particularly in the wake of her split from Jonas, 35. News broke in September 2023 that the pair called it quits after four years of marriage, and reports quickly surfaced questioning Turner’s parenting after a British tabloid published photos of her in a pub.
In an interview with British Vogue earlier this year, Turner called the immediate aftermath of her divorce “the worst few days” of her life. “It hurt because I really do completely torture myself over every move I make as a mother — mum guilt is so real!” she told the outlet in May. “I just kept having to say to myself, ‘None of this is true. You are a good mum and you’ve never been a partier.’”
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She continued, “It’s unfathomable the amount of people that will just make s— up and put it up based on a picture. A picture might tell a thousand words, but it’s not my story. It felt like I was watching a movie of my life that I hadn’t written, hadn’t produced, or starred in. It was shocking. I’m still in shock.”
Through her most challenging moments, Turner was reminded by her lawyer to stay strong for her daughters. “Once anyone says to me, ‘Do it for your kids,’ I’m doing it,” she explained. “I wouldn’t do it for myself, but I’ll find the strength for them.”
Turner previously sued Jonas, alleging their children were being “wrongfully detained” in New York City while she was filming in the U.K. Jonas denied the accusations before the exes reached a temporary custody agreement in October 2023. The case was dismissed in January. Us Weekly confirmed earlier this month that Jonas and Turner officially finalized their divorce.
