Jodie Turner-Smith, who parted ways with actor Joshua Jackson after a four-year marriage, recently shared her thoughts on the “Dawson’s Creek” alum’s budding romance with Lupita Nyong’o.
Turner-Smith, who filed for divorce from Jackson in September 2023, citing irreconcilable differences, tells The Cut that the couple’s split came as a result of them going in “different paths,” but Jackson didn’t stay single for long. On Oct 18, Jackson was spotted cozying up with Lupita Nyong’o at a Janelle Monáe concert in Inglewood, California. The following day, Nyong’o took to Instagram to announce that she and her boyfriend, former ESPN commentator Selema Masekela, had broken up. Since then, Nyong’o and the “Queen & Slim” star’s estranged husband have been spotted in public on numerous occasions.
Following her break-up announcement, Nyong’o received a rush of encouragement from fans and celebrity colleagues. Of the thoughtful messages was a comment from Marlon Wayans that read, “Trust God. He wants better for you. All lessons are blessing especially the painful ones. This too shall pass. Warmest of hugs. Be kind to you as you heal.”
He continued, “I always say whenever I have a break up, ‘Lucky me, I get to love ME again. I missed you me.’ Go love on you woman.”
However, while celebrities like Wayans, Gabrielle Union, Ava DuVernay, and Niecy Nash were rallying behind Nyong’o, Turner-Smith has remained relatively quiet about her personal life for the most part. In her recent sit down with The Cut, the actress was asked if she thought it was “weird” for her estranged husband to be seen publicly dating so soon.
“Good for them,” she said about her ex-husband dating Nyong’o. “We need happiness in order to peacefully co-parent. 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.”
As the former couple navigates co-parenting their 4-year-old daughter, Juno, Turner-Smith said she is ready to move forward with making things comfortable for the child.
“I just have to do everything that I can to set Juno up to win,” she emphasized, “and to peacefully co-parent with someone whom I once loved very, very much.”
This is not the first time Turner-Smith has spoken out about her divorce. In February 2024, she said in an interview with The Sunday Times Style magazine, “Sometimes things we really want to work just don’t end up working, and that’s OK.”
“The most important thing is that you choose what’s healthiest for you and your family and definitely your children,” she continued.
The actress added, “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. 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.”
As for Nyong’o, it seems that her new relationship with Jackson is still going strong. The two were seen packing on the PDA in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in March, celebrating her birthday.
