Why Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson Are Divorcing: They’ve ‘Been Having Issues’

Jodie Turner-Smith filed for divorce from Joshua Jackson on Monday after nearly four years of marriage. The breakup was unexpected, given that the couple was recently photographed together during New York Fashion Week. However, sources have made it clear to Us Weekly, Entertainment Tonight and Daily Mail that, privately, it’s been on the horizon for some time on Turner-Smith’s end.

“Jodie and Joshua have been having issues lately,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. “They celebrated Jodie’s birthday on September 9 at The Flower Shop in NYC but arrived separately and left separately. It was a big party, and they were distant throughout the night and barely around each other. Jodie spent majority of the evening downstairs.”

Work was also a factor, a separate source told Entertainment Tonight. “Jodie and Joshua’s hectic work schedules started to weigh on their relationship starting over a year ago when they were both filming projects and not always in the same place,” that source said. “They tried to make things work and were taking steps to help their relationship and deal with managing their busy schedules. From an outside perspective, things looked great for a while, but privately, they were slowly growing apart.”

“They are trying to be amicable as they move forward with their divorce and trying to avoid any feelings of animosity,” the source continued. “They’re both respectful of each other and focused on co-parenting their daughter. They want to have a positive relationship for her sake and for themselves.”

Another source gave Daily Mail much more detail about Jackson’s feelings regarding the split. He didn’t want it, that insider claimed, but the couple just didn’t work romantically anymore and are better as co-parents to their three-year-old daughter.

“Joshua is heartbroken over the impending divorce. He always thought that he would be married and grow old with his family, and everything would be happily ever after,” the source said. “He had the dream scenario in his mind, and Jodie was his person and the person he thought he would be with forever.”

Jackson would reconcile, the source claimed: “He would have loved nothing more than to still be with Jodie and in a perfect world would probably even take her back if she were to stop the divorce, but now that they have got to this place, he is going to have to accept it.”

That source said no “bad behavior” caused the split: “Nothing horrible happened between the two like infidelity, the relationship just went its course, and it is just a sad time.”

A source gave similar intel to Us Weekly later on October 3. “Joshua was clearly caught off guard by Jodie’s decision to divorce,” the source said. “They had their issues, as many couples do—especially two busy actors who are also juggling a child. Joshua obviously didn’t realize it was this bad, that Jodie was this unhappy.”

Their friends don’t see their “whirlwind romance” as being what caused the split as much as just lifestyle changes. “They became glued to each other after the first night they met, and then parenthood soon followed,” the source said. “It was a huge lifestyle change, especially for a free spirit like Jodie. But they seemed so devoted to each other, so everyone is shaking their heads.”

While their friends hope they reconcile, the source said Turner-Smith “seems quite sure of her decision. The ball is in Joshua’s court, though right now he’s likely trying to sort things out himself.”

Turner-Smith listed “irreconcilable differences” as their cause of divorce and their date of separation as September 13, right after their fashion week appearances. Neither she, Jackson, nor their reps have commented on the news.

Senior News and Strategy Editor

Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.