Jodie Turner-Smith wants peace between herself and her estranged husband, Joshua Jackson — and privacy from everyone else.
In a recent interview with The Cut, the actress and model, who filed for divorce from Jackson in September after four years of marriage and the birth of a daughter, opened up about her life since separating from the “Dawson’s Creek” star. Specifically, Turner-Smith disclosed how she’s attempting to “peacefully” co-parent, and even her thoughts about how quickly Jackson has seemingly entered a new relationship
After explaining that the marriage ended due to the couple going on “different paths,” when asked what she thinks of Jackson’s rumored romance with actress Lupita Nyong’o, Turner-Smith said, “Good for them.”
“We need happiness in order to peacefully co-parent,” continued the “Queen & Slim” actress, who shares her young daughter, Juno, with Jackson. “I’m trying to get us to the Gwyneth-and-Chris Martin level. I truly hope they’re happy and that it benefits us as a family.”
Turner-Smith and Jackson’s fast-paced relationship began in 2018 when they met at a party thrown by Usher. The pair married in August 2019 and welcomed their daughter in April 2020. As the actress’ star was just beginning its ascent when her relationship with Jackson began, it also became a significant part of her public narrative.
The “Acolyte” star noted how going public with her relationship with Jackson, particularly because it was an interracial pairing, led to feeling defined by it as the two encountered intense scrutiny from multiple sides.
“I didn’t have an accurate scope of understanding what it would mean to share my relationship with the public,” she said.
Turner-Smith further revealed that she’s joining the list of celebrities who are now retreating to intense privacy regarding their relationships. Ironically, this list includes Nyong’o, who, after a very public split from TV host Selema Masekela, has yet to confirm dating Jackson.
Turner-Smith said sharing her relationships with the public is something she “will never do again. Ever.”
She added, “That is one major lesson that I took away from this, which is just that people don’t need to know everything.”
Following the announcement of the end of her marriage in October, Turner-Smith said in an interview several months later that she didn’t think her breakup with Jackson represented “a failure.”
“We obviously had such a beautiful moment together. And now it’s time for a new moment for both of us. And how exciting,” she told the UK’s Sunday Times. “The bravest thing in the world is to recognize when something’s not working and to make a move, and I always want to set that kind of example for my daughter.”
She continued, “The big takeaway is that this is about just as much love and joy as it has always been. This is only about taking a step forward into a better life for everybody involved.”