The paperwork also asserted that the family relocated to England in April, and that Sophie and Joe had made a “temporary agreement” for their daughters, who are dual U.S. and U.K. citizens, to remain with the Jonas Brothers singer during his stateside tour before returning abroad with their mom.

“On September 19, 2023, the Father’s Florida attorney confirmed that the Father will not return the passports to the Mother,” the doc claimed, “and will not consent for the children to return home to England.”

In response to the filing, a rep for Joe pushed back on the allegations and called the situation “an unfortunate legal disagreement about a marriage that is sadly ending.”

“When language like ‘abduction’ is used, it is misleading at best, and a serious abuse of the legal system at worst,” a statement from the spokespersonn to E! News read in part. “The children were not abducted. After being in Joe’s care for the past three months at the agreement of both parties, the children are currently with their mother. Sophie is making this claim only to move the divorce proceedings to the U.K. and to remove the children from the U.S. permanently.”