Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis’s contentious 2020 breakup is making headlines again, this time due to their former nanny, Ericka Genaro, who is suing the couple for wrongful termination. Genaro alleges she was subjected to extreme anxiety and stress as she felt forced to “pick sides” between the two, and when she asked for a three-day leave for her mental health, she was abruptly fired.
According to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Genaro began working for Wilde and Sudeikis in 2018 as their live-in nanny to care for the couple’s two young children. In November of 2020, Wilde “abruptly” left the home, creating an adverse consequence as Genaro claims Sudeikis started to lean on her more for support.
Genaro claims the pressure of “being the primary caretaker of the children” and “filling in” for Wilde “became debilitating.” She alleges her anxiety from the situation in the household “became close to unbearable” in the weeks after Wilde left. Genaro felt compelled to talk to the filmmaker and during their conversation, Genaro confided in Wilde about how Sudeikis’ “late-night conversations” caused her stress.
The lawsuit alleges that Wilde relayed everything Genaro said to Sudeikis, and he used the information against her to get her on his side. The lawsuit claims that when Genaro requested a three-day leave of absence for her mental health, Sudeikis confronted her and “terminated her on the spot.” Genaro is now suing for an unspecified amount in damages for wrongful termination, lost earnings, and deferred compensation, among other losses of employment benefits.
Wilde and Sudeikis have yet to comment on the lawsuit, but they did issue a joint statement in October when Genaro first made headlines. “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 in the statement. “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.”
The lawsuit is a reminder of the tumultuous 2020 Wilde and Sudeikis experienced as a couple, and yet another difficult chapter in the story of their split. It remains to be seen how this lawsuit will impact their co-parenting relationship, but for now, the two appear to be amicably co-parenting and focused on what’s best for their children.
