Sophie Turner Says She Was "Widely Misquoted" After Discussing Being a Single Mother

"I applaud single mothers doing it alone."

Sophie Turner with red hair and bangs at the EE BAFTA Film Awards in London on February 19, 2023
(Image credit: Getty Images/Neil Mockford/FilmMagic)

Sophie Turner is correcting a slew of articles that took her quotes about being a single mother out of context.

Turner shares two children—daughters Willa, 4, and Delphine, 2—with her ex, Joe Jonas. Earlier this month, Turner and Jonas finalized their divorce, and they continue to co-parent their two children. Since the breakup, Turner has started dating aristocrat Peregrine Pearson.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, which was published on Sunday, September 29, Turner discussed her new role in TV drama Joan. The Game of Thrones star portrays Joan Hannington, a real-life diamond thief and single mom, in the series.

"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 said of the new part.

She continued, "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."

Sophie Turner discusses how her single mother comments were taken out of context in an Instagram Story

Sophie Turner discusses how her single mother comments were taken out of context in an Instagram Story.

(Image credit: Instagram/sophiet)

Many outlets reported that Turner had referred to her own journey as a single mother as a "struggle." However, the Do Revenge actress set the record straight on Instagram.

In an Instagram Story, Turner explained, "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."

She continued, "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 filming Joan in the U.K. when news of her split from Jonas first surfaced.

"Joan changed me quite a lot," Turner told The Sunday Times. "From utter desperation comes so much will and ambition."

The actress explained, "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."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.