The witch-hunt against Sophie Turner for simply getting a divorce needs to end.
With the rumour mill in full swing at the beginning of the week following the speculation that Sophie Turner, 27, and Joe Jonas, 34, were headed for divorce, those whispers quickly turned into screams when the couple confirmed that those rumours were true.
The Game of Thrones alum and the Jonas Brothers’ frontman began dating in 2016, and tied the knot in May of 2019, all before welcoming two daughters who they choose to keep sheltered from the public eye.
Since the pair released a joint statement confirming their divorce, the questions have gone from ‘are they?’ to ‘why are they?’ pretty fast, with Turner featuring front and centre as the answer.
View this post on Instagram
“After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end out marriage,” the statement began.
“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.”
Following the announcement that Turner and Jonas were going their separate ways, many have painted the picture that somehow she was the sole reason for the breakdown in their marriage, breaching the one wish the couple asked for: privacy.
Stories alluding that the cause was down to the actress being away from her children for three months or having a love for partying have swiftly become headlines, conjuring an image of a ‘bad mother’ or a reckless party girl.
When gossip sites publish narratives that the couple have alleged contrasting lifestyles, it gives readers very little choice but to take sides: Turner, a girl who goes out and parties, versus Jonas, a doting father who just wants to stay at home and parent.
View this post on Instagram
It’s as though everyone has an opinion on this extremely personal choice the couple has made, opinions that could be read by their two daughters in years to come with one quick search of their mum’s or dad’s name.
Yes, we watch on as they live their lives on social media—the parts they choose to share; we congratulate them as if they are close friends when they wed or welcome children; we even share in their pain or grief when they open up about difficult life experiences. We want to know every single detail, but that isn’t the problem; it comes with the job of a public figure. It’s when we pass judgement on something we know little about that it becomes an issue.
However, as soon as a woman is described as a mother who has left her children, leaving her husband to look after them ‘pretty much all of the time,’ she is immediately shamed and demonised.
View this post on Instagram
What many have failed to mention is that the actress is working in the UK this year filming for an upcoming ITV drama based on British jewel thief Joan Hannington, a.k.a. she is doing her job, a.k.a. providing for said children.
And let’s entertain this idea that Turner is this party animal for a brief moment. Let’s say she enjoys a party. Where is the crime? It is as if the moment you step into the role of a mother, all of your interests must immediately transform. Are we any happier with the image of Turner sitting at home 24/7 in boredom at the age of 27?
It’s time we celebrate people who are leaving a marriage or any situation, be it a career or friendship, that isn’t working. Divorce shouldn’t be seen as a failure; it’s something we should view as a celebration, something that prompts the response, ‘Go you for leaving something that doesn’t align with you.’
Let’s take a leaf out of Emily Ratajkowski’s book, who took to TikTok to show her support for women who are going through divorce before reaching their 30s.
“As someone who got married at 26, has been separated for a little over a year, at 32, I have to tell you, I don’t think there’s anything better.
“Being in your 20s is the trenches, there’s nothing better than being in your 30s, still being hot, maybe having a little of your own money, figuring out what you want to do with your life and having tried that married fantasy and realising that it’s maybe not all it’s cracked up to be and then you have your whole life still ahead of you.
“So for all those people feeling stressed about being divorced, it’s good. Congratulations, congratulations.”
Say it louder for the people in the back, Emrata.
