Jodie Turner-Smith Breaks Silence on Joshua Jackson and Lupita Nyongo’s Relationship

Jodie Turner-Smith has embraced positivity and acceptance despite rumors surrounding her ex-husband Joshua Jackson‘s romance with Lupita Nyong’o. The Queen & Slim actress, who split from Jackson in 2023 after four years of marriage, recently shared her candid thoughts on the high-profile couple during an interview with The Cut, published on June 14.

Turner-Smith expressed her well-wishes for the pair, stating, “Good for them. We need happiness in order to peacefully co-parent.” As she and Jackson, 46, navigate the challenges of co-parenting their 4-year-old daughter Juno, Turner-Smith hopes to emulate a famous former couple.

“I’m trying to get us to the Gwyneth [Paltrow] and Chris Martin level,” the 37-year-old said before adding, “I truly hope they’re happy and that it benefits us as a family.” Altogether, she believes healthy parenting is most important for their young daughter as well. “I just have to do everything that I can to set Juno up to win,” Turner-Smith said, “and to peacefully co-parent with someone whom I once loved very, very much.”

Jackson and Nyong’o, both successful actors, first sparked romantic speculation in October of the previous year when they were spotted together at a Janelle Monae event. The rumors gained further traction in March when the couple was seen openly displaying their affection during Nyong’o’s 41st birthday celebrations in Mexico.

While her former partner has found solace in a new romance, Turner-Smith has channeled her energies into embracing her role as a single mother and advancing her career, which includes her highly anticipated Star Wars show, The Acolyte. In reminiscing on her whirlwind entry into the industry simultaneously with her high-profile romance with Jackson, Turner-Smith admits the difficulties of juggling the two. 

“It all came from a really innocent place,” she reflected, referring to their red carpet debut at the premiere of her first starring role in Queen & Slim. “I didn’t understand how sinister that could end up being for me. It was taking away from a moment that I needed to have on my own.”

A celebratory milestone in Turner-Smith’s career was overshadowed by scrutiny and speculation surrounding her relationship, leaving her feeling deeply hurt and confused about her identity and choices. “It opened up a very painful conversation to the world about who I was with and how right or wrong it was to be with that person. And when you’re pregnant, it’s like the most vulnerable time of your life,” she said.

Since she split from Jackson, Turner-Smith has been on a journey of self-discovery and renewal. This sentiment was embodied in her striking Burberry gown at the 2024 Met Gala, which she described on Instagram at the time as “deliberately bridal” and symbolic of “a rebirth. A clean start. A recommitment to the most important relationship I will ever have, the relationship from which all others grow: my relationship with myself.”

Through her Instagram post, Turner-Smith emphasized the importance of self-love and self-acceptance, stating, “It is through loving and honoring myself that I am able to love and honor my daughter, and teach her to do the same.”