Inside Joshua Jackson's Relationship History

In his breakthrough role as Pacey Witter on "Dawson's Creek" in the late '90s through the early 2000s, Joshua Jackson was a TV heartthrob, whose fictional romantic entanglements captivated fans of the show. As time went on, Jackson's real-life relationships were thrust into the spotlight with as much fervor, and the actor has worked hard to keep his private life private, without keeping himself entirely locked away from the public.

The "Doctor Odyssey" star is now a father –- he and ex-wife Jodie Turner-Smith welcomed their daughter, Juno Rose Diana Jackson, in April 2020 -– and he's reportedly single once more, following a high-profile divorce and then a subsequent short-lived romance with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o. But Jackson's relationship history –- and his tendency to remain on friendly, or at least positive, terms with his exes –- has been a focus of speculation since he was a teenager.

From his on-set romance with his "Dawson's Creek" co-star Katie Holmes to his decade-long relationship to Diane Kruger, to his eventual marriage, divorce, and role as a father, we're taking a look inside Jackson's fascinating romance timeline.

After meeting on the set of "Dawson's Creek," Joshua Jackson sparked a romance with co-star Katie Holmes when Holmes was around 19. While the romance didn't last long, it seemed to have a lasting impact on Holmes. She sat down for an interview with Rolling Stone in September 1998, and when asked about her rumored romance with Jackson, Holmes coyly replied (via Us Weekly), "I'm just going to say that I met somebody last year, I fell in love, I had my first love, and it was something so incredible and indescribable."

While she also confirmed the relationship had already run its course by the time of the interview, Holmes marveled, "I feel so fortunate because he's now one of my best friends. It's weird, it's almost like a Dawson-and-Joey type thing now." The pair have reportedly stayed friends in the years since.

Between 2002 and 2003, as "Dawson's Creek" was coming to a close, Joshua Jackson was romantically linked with then-burgeoning movie star Rosario Dawson. The pair were photographed spending time together and being flirty as far back as May 2022, when they were snapped playfully laughing and hugging in Los Angeles. They reportedly went their separate ways in early 2003. However, the press apparently believed they had split before then, and pushed Jackson about it often. "He would get all these calls because supposedly before we broke up, we had already broken up in the [news]," Dawson expressed (via Us Weekly).

In spite of their split, Jackson has remained friendly with the "Ahsoka" star in the years after they were no longer romantically entwined. The pair posed for playful photos at Dawson's Studio 189 New York Fashion Week even in August 2023, where they were all smiles as they reconnected and goofed around for photographers.

One of Joshua Jackson's longest and most prominent relationships began in 2006 when he sparked a romance with Diane Kruger, which lasted for a decade. However, they weren't interested in getting married. Their romance came on the heels of Krueger's divorce from French filmmaker Guillaume Canet, and the actress said in 2011 that she no longer believed in marriage. 

"Without sounding pessimistic, I learned that I don't believe in marriage. I believe in a commitment that you make in your heart," she told Glamour in 2011 (via E! News). "There's no paper that will make you stay." Jackson shared similar sentiments in a different chat with Glamour in 2014, explaining, "I don't feel any more or less committed to Diane for not having stood in front of a priest and had a giant party. We're both children of divorce, so it's hard for me to take marriage at face value as the thing that shows you've grown up and are committed to another person."

Eventually, the pair called it quits after a decade, releasing a joint statement to People in July 2016, explaining that they "have decided to separate and remain friends." Even after their break-up, Jackson remained outwardly supportive of his ex in the years that followed. When Krueger won the Cannes Film Festival Award for best actress in 2017, Jackson took to Instagram to congratulate her, writing, "Yes she Cannes. Having witnessed the integrity and dedication that you bring to every job, I'm over the moon to see you getting the recognition you deserve."

In October 2018, Joshua Jackson crossed paths with British actress Jodie Turner-Smith at a birthday party, and their whirlwind romance kicked off instantly. Jackson's previous indifference toward marriage seemed to subside, as the couple wound up tying the knot in December 2019. Not long after, Jackson and Turner-Smith celebrated the arrival of their daughter, Juno Rose Diana, in April 2020.

Throughout their romance, Jackson was publicly effusive in his praise for Turner-Smith, both as a wife and as a mother. On her first Mother's Day, Jackson paid tribute to his wife on Instagram, sharing, in part, "Thank you for the depth of grace you have found since our daughter has arrived." Meanwhile, Turner-Smith spoke with Forbes in 2022, and gushed, "When I met Josh and one of the biggest reasons why I married him, wanted him to be my husband, is because of how loved and supported I felt by him."

Unfortunately, things fell apart for the lovebirds over the next three years and Turner-Smith filed for divorce in October 2023, citing irreconcilable differences. Speaking to The Times in February 2024, Turner-Smith reflected on their relationship and explained that it was not a failure, because they "had such a beautiful moment together." Despite things not panning out for them, Turner-Smith said, "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."

Just a few weeks after news of his divorce first broke, Joshua Jackson attended a Janelle Monáe concert in Los Angeles, where he was spotted standing close to and laughing with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o. While there were no overt displays of affection, this still led to romance rumors in the press. The fact that Nyong'o had announced her split from boyfriend Selema Masekela just days before the concert only fanned the flames of speculation.

In December 2023, however, Jackson and Nyong'o seemingly confirmed their romance when they were photographed walking around Joshua Tree, California, strolling hand-in-hand while smiling and chatting. In March 2024, Jackson then celebrated Nyong'o's birthday in Mexico, but neither publicly commented on the nature of their relationship throughout their time together. Split rumors began to spread in the following months, and they only intensified when Jackson was spotted hanging out with model Nastassja Roberts in September 2024. At the time of writing, Jackson has not confirmed or even addressed his relationship with Nyong'o or rumored romance with Roberts.