Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have announced that they have decided to end their marriage after four “wonderful” years.
The pair issued a joint statement on their respective Instagram accounts on Wednesday (6 September), writing: “After four years of wonderful marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage.”
“There are many speculative narratives as to why but, truly this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.”
According to documents obtained by Today, the Jonas Brothers singer filed a petition for dissolution of marriage on Tuesday (5 September) in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The petition states that “the marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken”.
That same day, a source told TMZ that a difference in lifestyles and Turner’s apparent love of “partying” was the reason for the split. “[Turner] likes to party, [Jonas] likes to stay at home. They have very different lifestyles,” a source told the outlet.
Less than one week ago, it was rumoured that Jonas and Turner – who were married in 2019 – were heading towards divorce. According to TMZ, the pair had been experiencing “problems” in their relationship for six months. The outlet also published photographs, which showed Jonas on a coffee run in New York City, as he appeared to not be wearing his wedding ring. Later, however, Jonas appeared to try to dispel those rumours. On Sunday (3 September), the “Cake by the Ocean” singer shared a new photo on Instagram with his wedding band visible.
Representatives for Turner have declined to comment on the matter, while Jonas’s representatives have not responded to The Independent’s request for comment.
As the pair confirm their split, below is a timeline of Jonas and Turner’s relationship, from their first meetings to the divorce filing.
2016: Joe Jonas sends message to Sophie Turner on Instagram
Mutual friends had been trying to set Jonas and Turner up long before they actually met. The pair eventually started following each other on Instagram in 2016, with Jonas sending Turner a direct message.
“We had a lot of mutual friends. And they’d been trying to introduce us for a long time,” Turner told Harper’s Bazaar UK in 2019. “We were following each other on Instagram and he direct-messaged me one fine day, out of the blue.”
October 2016: Jonas and Turner meet for the first time
After connecting on Instagram, Jonas invited Turner to go on a date at a bar. Reflecting on their first time meeting, Turner said that Jonas surprised her.
“I expected him to show up with security and everything. I thought he would be such a d***,” she told Elle. “I took all my guy friends with me to meet him, because in the back of my mind I was worried he could be a catfish, or… I don’t know what. I just wanted my guy friends with me. I had my rugby boys. I was safe.”
“He didn’t bring security. He brought a friend, and they drank just as hard as the rest of us. I remember the two of us spending only a couple of minutes on the dance floor, and then we just found a space far in the corner and we just talked.”
“We talked for hours, and hours, and hours. And I was not bored. It wasn’t contrived. It wasn’t small talk – it was just so easy. And soon we were inseparable. I went on tour with him,” Turner shared.
November 2016: Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are spotted Kings of Leon concert
The duo made their first public appearance as a couple known when they were spotted at a Kings of Leon concert at the Oude Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in November 2016.
December 2016: Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are confirmed to be exclusively dating
Just a few months into their relationship, sources confirmed to People that Jonas and Turner were officially dating.
“They’re dating exclusively. He was playing the field, but he really likes her and is willing to settle down for her,” the source said.
1 January 2017: Jonas and Turner make their relationship Instagram official
Turner posted a photograph of Jonas riding on a boat to kick off 2017, making their relationship Instagram official. She captioned the picture: “Miami daze”.
July 2017: Sophie Turner opens up about their relationship publicly for the first time
Speaking to Marie Claire UK about her relationship for the first time, Turner told the publication that she was “very happy”.
However, Turner discussed how difficult it could be to date while in the public eye. @You do feel like you’re living in a fishbowl!” she said. “It’s frustrating [that] it’s the most mundane things that make the news – how boring! There are really no other headlines?"
September 2017: Jonas and Turner adopt their dog Porky
In September 2017, Jonas and Turned adopted a Siberian husky named Porky Basquiat. Turner shared the news in an Instagram post, writing: “Meet the newest addition to the krew [sic] @perkybasquiat”. Months later, the couple shared that they had brought home a new dog named Waldo Picasso.
October 2017: Turner and Jonas announce their engagement
One year into their relationship, Jonas and Turner announced they were engaged by sharing matching Instagram posts of Turner’s hand wearing an engagement ring.
“She said yes,” Jonas captioned the image, while Turner wrote: “I said yes”.
March 2019: Turner credits Jonas for being a source of ‘happiness’
Speaking to Glamour UK, the Game of Thrones actor said she had found happiness after struggling as a teenager.
"A lot of [my happiness now] is to do with being with a person I’ve fallen in love with, who loves me more than he loves himself, and who wants to see me find my own happiness,” she said.
“That was probably the biggest thing that pushed me to find who I am – and find my happiness in things other than acting.”
March 2019: Turner stars in the Jonas Brothers’ “Sucker” music video
In March 2019, the partners of the Jonas brothers – Kevin Jonas’s wife Danielle Jonas, Nick Jonas’s wife Priyanka Chopra and Turner – appeared in the band’s video for their song “Sucker”.
The video takes on an Alice in Wonderland theme with rabbits, a maze, parties in the mansion, and a scene where the group enjoys a tea party in the garden.
On the chorus the brothers sing: “I’m a sucker for all the subliminal things no one knows about you / And you’re making the typical me, break my typical rules / It’s true, I’m a sucker for you.”
May 2019: Turner reveals that she and Jonas broke up for a day
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Turner revealed that the couple secretly broke up at one point in their relationship. However, she said the split only lasted for 24 hours before they rekindled things.
"It was the worst day of our lives. For a second we both had cold feet, then 24 hours later we were both, like, ‘Never mind,’” Turner said.
May 2019: Pair wed in Las Vegas
Jonas and Turner got married in a surprise ceremony in Las Vegas and later marked the occasion in a lavish celebration in the French countryside in June. At the time, Turner was 23 and Jonas was 29.
The couple walked down the aisle just hours after the Billboard Music Awards, with many of their famous friends, like music producer Diplo, and Dan + Shay attending their Las Vegas ceremony.
Speaking to GQ, Jonas later revealed that the wedding was a completely last minute affair.
“We had to get legally married in the States, so we thought it’d be really fun to get all of our friends, invite them out, and do an impromptu wedding,” he said. “We actually had some people that I didn’t really even know that well there.”
June 2020: Sophie Turner spotted with a baby bump
In June 2020, Turner was seen with a growing baby bump while walking around Los Angeles. While the pair never formally told fans they were expecting a child, a source told People that the pair were preparing for a baby.
July 2020: Pair welcome first daughter Willa
Turner gave birth to the couple’s first child, a baby girl named Willa. Representatives confirmed the birth and by September, Turner had shared some photos looking back at her pregnancy.
May 2022: Turner shows off baby bump at the Met Gala
Pair cradle baby bump at Met Gala— (AFP via Getty Images)
While posing for pictures on the red carpet together at the 2022 Met Gala, Jonas cradled Turner’s stomach. At the time, the couple were officially yet to announce the pregnancy, but confirmed days later that they were expecting baby number two.
Speaking to Elle UK, Turner said that “raising the next generation” was what life “is about” for her.
“The greatest thing in life is seeing my daughter go from strength to strength. We’re so excited to be expanding the family. It’s the best blessing ever,” she said.
July 2022: Jonas and Turner confirm the arrival of their second baby
“Joe and Sophie are happy to announce the arrival of their baby girl,” a representative told People at the time.
August 2022: Jonas says he is ‘adjusting’ to balancing work and family
After becoming a father for the second time, Jonas told People that he was still “learning” how to balance his busy music career and home life.
“Just something that I’m learning as I go, I think I can now work a little bit harder to take time off. I’m still trying to figure it out,” he said, describing it as an “adjustment period”.
“Some weeks are a little bit more challenging than others, but it makes it a lot easier when you enjoy your gig… I wake up every day just thrilled to be able to go make music or act and create different projects and have a beautiful family, so it feels like a dream come true."
November 2022: Jonas reveals why he keeps marriage private
Jonas said that, while he had been an “open book” before his marriage, he realised there were things he wanted to keep private for himself.
“I want to feel like an open book,” he told Mr Porter. “But when we started dating, I realised that I didn’t have a ton of stuff that was just for me. And in the end, it makes me a better person to have something for myself.”
Sunday 3 September 2023: Reports claim couple are ‘heading for divorce’
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner— (Getty Images)
TMZ published photographs on Sunday (3 August) taken a few weeks before, in which Jonas appears not to be wearing his wedding ring while on a coffee run in New York City. Meanwhile, its sources claim that Jonas’s team have been “consulting with two divorce lawyers” and that he is on the “cusp” of filing papers. The publication also claims that the pair have been experiencing “problems” in their relationship for six months.
However, on the same day, Jonas shared a new photo on Instagram, in which he held his left hand up to his mouth, visibly showing off his wedding band. In the picture, he is seen with his brothers Nick and Kevin Jonas as he wished his followers a “Happy Labour weekend”.
Fans of the couple are hopeful that Jonas’s latest Instagram post is a sign that the divorce rumours are unfounded.
“Joe’s wearing his wedding ring in this photo so everyone can chill the f*** out,” wrote one fan on Instagram.
“Joe’s ring is back!!” remarked one follower, as another added: “What a relief!”
“The ring comments.. .When people travel their fingers swell and have to take them off. It’s not always that deep,” suggested another fan.
Tuesday 5 September: Jonas has officially filed for divorce, according to reports
Jonas filed a petition for dissolution of marriage on 5 September in Miami Dade County, Florida, according to documents obtained by Today. The petition states that “the marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken”.
A source told TMZ on Tuesday that a difference in lifestyles was the reason for the split. “[Turner] likes to party, [Jonas] likes to stay at home. They have very different lifestyles,” a source told the outlet.
Following on from initial reports that the couple’s two children have been residing with Jonas while Turner is filming a project in the UK, the petition states that “it is in the best interests of the minor children that the parties have shared parental responsibility”.
In addition to a request for joint custody, the document also indicated that Jonas and Turner had a prenuptial agreement. He has now reportedly tapped powerhouse celebrity attorney Tom Sasser, who handled Tiger Woods’ divorce, following reports that the Disney Channel alum had been “consulting with two divorce lawyers” in the Los Angeles area.
Wednesday 6 September: Pair issue joint statement stating they have decided to ‘end marriage’
Statement issued by Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner— (Sophie Turner/instagram)
Addressing the reports, Jonas and Turner eventually issued a joint statement on Wednesday (6 September) via their respective Instagram accounts.
“After four years of wonderful marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage,” read the statement.
“There are many speculative narratives as to why but, truly this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.”
