Jason Sudeikis has learned that keeping quiet doesn’t keep the peace — sometimes, it just delays the argument.
Six years after his split from Olivia Wilde, the Ted Lasso star is reflecting on their decade-long relationship and the communication mistakes he wishes he had handled differently.
Speaking on the recent episode of the Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso podcast, Sudeikis admitted he should have spoken up sooner instead of letting his feelings build.
Read More: Jason Sudeikis praises ex-fiancée Olivia Wilde while reflecting on their split
“It’s just flat-out communication. I could have communicated better with how I felt, how things were making me feel,” he explained, adding, “One thing I’ve learned is that I waited a little too long.”
The actor, 51, shares two children with Wilde: Otis, 12, and Daisy, 10. Looking back, he compared unspoken emotions to physical warning signs that eventually demand attention.
As he put it, his feelings were “coming out different ways, the same way the reason we burp or our brakes screech. It’s like warning signs, the body is trying to tell you stuff.”
Sudeikis also admitted he once treated relationship problems like bad grades he hoped his parents would never discover.
“If my parents never see my bad grades, we never have to talk about my bad grades even though the grades still exist,” he noted. But he now understands, “If I’m feeling a certain way and I don’t talk about it, that doesn’t make it go away.”
His takeaway? Partners aren’t mind readers, and neither are bosses or colleagues.
“It’s unfair for someone to be a mind reader, whether that person be a partner or a boss at SNL or a line producer for a television show,” he said.
Despite their breakup, Sudeikis spoke warmly about Wilde’s career and made it clear he’s rooting for her.
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“I know Olivia loves what she does and is very, very good at it and always has been, and I’m thrilled for her,” Sudeikis said. “And I feel very fortunate and that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”
