Jodie Turner-Smith And Joshua Jackson Divorcing After Nearly Four Years Of Marriage: Their Relationship Timeline
After a whirlwind romance, two proposals and a baby, Turner-Smith has filed to end her union with Jackson. See their journey to this point.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 02: (L-R) Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson attend The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
British actress and beauty Jodie Turner-Smith is pulling the plug on her relationship with actor and former Dawson’s Creek heartthrob Joshua Jackson. The couple wed in December 2019 and would have celebrated four years of marriage this December. According to documents obtained by TMZ, she filed the paperwork, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason the two are going their separate ways. She is seeking joint custody of their 3-year-old daughter, Juno, and the site says while there was no prenuptial agreement in place, she wants there to be no spousal support allowed for either party.
The couple’s reported date of separation is September 13, one day after the last time they were spotted out together at an event.
These two seemed so locked in that this split is truly a shock, but alas, you never know what’s going on behind closed doors. Take a look back at their love story and journey to this point by checking out our relationship timeline below.
01
2018: They Meet and Fall Fast
The two are spotted out for the first time in November. They were photographed holding hands in LA, flashing wide smiles. The story of where they met has been all over the place, from his birthday party to Usher’s birthday bash to a charity event. Wherever they were, they certainly hit it off based on the stories they shared over the years about their relationship’s beginning. “First of all, I saw him before he saw me, and when I saw him, I was like, ‘I want that,’” she said in 2021. Later that year he shared, “It was sealed with a kiss that night and then we didn’t leave each other’s sides for, well, three years now.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 02: Joshua Jackson and his girlfriend, Jodie Turner-Smith are seen on August 02, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by BG002/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
02
August 2019: They Make It Official
By the next summer, the two were very serious about each other. They were so locked in, they decided to get a marriage license, picking up the papers in Beverly Hills. Around the time that news came out, they made their relationship Instagram official, with Turner-Smith sharing a photo of the two staring into each other’s eyes with the caption, “Two people who only fancy each other a little bit.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson attend the unveiling of the new fully-electric Lotus Emeya on September 07, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Lotus)
03
November 2019: Red Carpet Debut
They made their debut on the red carpet as a couple in November of that same year at the premiere of her film Queen & Slim in Los Angeles. She rocked what looked like an engagement ring while he wore a band on his ring finger.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 14: Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson attend the “Queen & Slim” Premiere at AFI FEST 2019 presented by Audi at the TCL Chinese Theatre on November 14, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
04
December 2019: They Share Big News
By the next month, not only had it been revealed that they were married, but it was also announced that the couple were expecting their first child together. Two months later she shared that she realized she was ready to have a child with Jackson because he was the life partner for her. “I don’t think you’re ever ‘ready’… but there were definitely certain boxes I wanted to tick before committing to it,” she shared via Twitter. “The most important for me: being w/ sum1 I knew would be a great life partner. Life has many variables, but once I knew I’d met the right person, I felt unafraid.”
Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith attending the 73rd British Academy Film Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall, London. (Photo by Matt Crossick/PA Images via Getty Images)
05
April 2020: Baby Juno Arrives
In April of the next year, a month after revealing that she was having a girl, the pair welcomed their first child, daughter Juno. Their reps shared the good news, commenting that “Both mother and baby are happy and healthy.” She gave birth at home due to it being the early days of the pandemic, and for another big reason. “I wanted her to be in a place where she felt like she was being heard at every step along the way, rather than having to go through that filter of being a Black woman interfacing with the American medical system,” he shared in 2021.
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 15: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Jodie Turner-Smith, Joshua Jackson and their new baby are seen walking in SoHo on January 15, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Stealth Pix/GC Images)
06
July 2021: They Recount Their Beginnings
More details about the couple’s relationship and how they found themselves as husband and wife came out in 2021 as the two became more comfortable opening up about it all. The most interesting tidbit was that it was Turner-Smith who popped the question. “She asked me, yeah, on New Year’s Eve,” he said on The Tonight Show that year. “We were in Nicaragua. It was very beautiful, incredibly romantic. We were walking down the beach, and she asked me to marry her.” A month later,he clarified, after a lot of commentary online, that he proposed to her, too. “She has a biological father and a stepdad, who’s the man who raised her. [I said], ‘You have to give me the opportunity to ask both of those men for your hand in marriage.’ And then, ‘I would like the opportunity to re-propose those to you and do it the old-fashioned way down on bended knee,’” he said. “So, that’s actually how the story ended up.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 19: Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith attend Netflix’s annual BAFTA Awards afterparty at Chiltern Firehouse on February 19, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Netflix)
07
2021-2022: They Got to the Bag Together
The couple partnered together with some major brands, including a major holiday campaign with J. Crew and Motorola for the Razr phone. For the latter campaign, ESSENCE spoke to the couple, who talked about how they encourage one another. “Well, I can say how he encourages me when I have negativity and doubt, which is that he always tells me to be nice to myself. You know, he’s always there reminding me that what I need to do is be kind to myself and I just love that,” she said in May 2022. “It’s always this beautiful reminder that really grounds me and lets me see what is important and what is real. Also cuddles. Yeah. Lots of cuddles.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 13: (L-R) Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith attends the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association)
08
September 2022: They Unfollow Each Other on Instagram
Initial grumblings about the status of the couple’s relationship arose after the two unfollowed each other for a short time on Instagram. But they seemed to sidestep the rumors, sharing their gorgeous J. Crew holiday ad photos and moving forward.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 02: (Exclusive Coverage) (L-R) Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith attend The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue )
09
March 2023: A Peek at Their Home Life
He shared that while they were quite the captivating couple, at home, they’re like the rest of us. “The most surprising thing is that it’s a lot more homey than it looks like from the outside,” he said. “It’s very, very baby-oriented and family-oriented inside the house.” He added of family life, “It’s pretty spectacular, honestly. Mama does love a dress up and I don’t mind getting dressed up and standing next to her. But this having a kid thing together is pretty magical.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 19: Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson attend the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2023 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 19, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Antony Jones/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
10
October 2023: They Call It Quits
The couple’s seemingly solid relationship came to a shocking halt after it came to light that Turner-Smith filed for divorce. Neither party has spoken about the split yet, but we wish the best for both of them and especially for their daughter.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)