Jodie Turner-Smith Broke Her Silence On Her Divorce From Joshua Jackson And Said The “Bravest Thing” Is To “Recognize When Something’s Not Working”

After filing for divorce in October, Jodie talked about having the courage to step away from “places that are not good for us.”

By
Ellen Durney
by Ellen Durney

BuzzFeed Staff

Jodie Turner-Smith is keeping a positive outlook amid her divorce from Joshua Jackson.

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After tying the knot in 2019, Jodie filed to divorce Joshua in October last year, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the legal grounds for the split.

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Much to fans’ intrigue, court documents obtained by BuzzFeed stated the official date of separation as Sept. 13, which was only a day after Jodie and Joshua had been photographed happily together at an event in New York.

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With this in mind, the news of their split came as a bit of a surprise. And insiders also began to allege that Joshua was a little shocked too, claiming he was “caught off guard by Jodie’s decision to divorce.”

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“Joshua obviously didn’t realize it was this bad, that Jodie was this unhappy,” the insider told Us Weekly, adding that “their friends are baffled and trying to understand how this came about.”

Notably, Joshua has yet to comment on the split. However, Jodie is now speaking out for herself and making it clear that she has no hard feelings towards her ex.

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“Sometimes things we really want to work just don’t end up working,” the Queen & Slim star said during an interview with The Times published on Sunday. “And that’s OK. The most important thing is that you choose what’s healthiest for you and your family and definitely your children.”

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As you may know, the former couple are parents to a three-year-old named Juno, and while reflecting on the end of their marriage, Jodie said that her daughter was at the forefront of her mind as she was making the decision to file for divorce.

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“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 said. “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.”

Shortly after their divorce made headlines, People published a report claiming that their marriage had become "unhealthy" and that Jodie "decided she is done."

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“They are on very different paths in life,” an insider claimed. “It turned into an unhealthy marriage that made her unhappy. They will coparent their daughter. They want her to continue to thrive.”

Following these rumors, Jodie didn’t comment explicitly on the reason for the split — though she did suggest that it’s always wise to stop and ask yourself if you’re truly happy in any situation.

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“If the answer is no, then you have to make a move because I believe that there are visible scars from staying in places that are not good for us,” she said, encouraging others to be honest with themselves. “And they don’t just affect us, they affect everybody around us.”

Concluding that she doesn't deem the marriage to be “a failure,” Jodie finished by reflecting fondly and looking towards a happier future for them both.

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“We obviously had such a beautiful moment together,” she said. “And now it’s time for a new moment for both of us. And how exciting!”

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