Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner Prove That Succeeding Separately Means Thriving Together

Welcome to #RelationshipGoals where we’re giving the stage to the power couples we admire. From admirable long-term relationships to inspirational newlyweds, these are the couples we love and hope to take cues from in our own relationships.

One is a Grammy-nominated musician, the other is a SAG-nominated actress and yet, somehow, some way, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have managed to remain one of Hollywood’s most down-to-earth couples. That might have something to do with their surprisingly non-Hollywood start.

Tabloids first linked the pair during the summer of 2016, although, at the time, Jonas played coy about his relationship status, telling Us Weekly, “I’m dating, but nothing serious. I’m really trying to just focus on myself and the music.” By January, all that had changed and the uncertainty had faded away. Turner was posting images of her boyfriend on Instagram and, fast forward to October 2017, the lovebirds confirmed their engagement with an Insta snap showing off a pear-cut diamond ring rumored to be worth a cool $150K.

Here are just some of the reason why the couple’s relationship has managed to become so strong so fast, despite their young age, and what we can all learn from them.

They had a non-Hollywood start

Unlike Jonas’ younger brother, Nick, whose headline-making whirlwind romance with wife Priyanka Chopra began at a star-studded Hollywood bash, the singer met his soulmate the old-fashioned way: through mutual friends who gave them a push in the right direction.

Speaking with Harper's Bazaar UK in March 2019, Turner revealed that their relationship was actually a long time coming. "We had a lot of mutual friends and they'd been trying to introduce us for a long time,” she told the mag. Eventually, Jonas took matters into his own hands.

We were following each other on Instagram and he direct messaged me one fine day, out of the blue.

Sophie Turner to Harper's Bazaar

Turner’s good friend, singer Hailee Steinfeld, also played a pivotal role in the matchmaking. Steinfeld actually collaborated with Jonas’ band, DNCE, on a single called "Rock Bottom" back in 2015, which is when Turner first jumped at the chance to get the inside scoop on Jonas.

"I will say, I did get that text from Sophie being like, 'So tell me about Joe,'" Steinfeld told Australian radio station Nova 969 in January 2018. She for one, approved: "I was like, 'Go for it!'"

A shared foundation

Despite the surprisingly normal start to their romance, there’s no denying that both Jonas and Turner are huge stars with totally non-normal lives. It's a fact that has only strengthened their bond and helped their relationship blossom. After all, they’ve both experienced the realities of growing up in the spotlight, giving them a shared foundation upon which to build.

Joe Jonas was just 16 when the Jonas Brothers first took the world by storm in 2005 and Turner was that exact same age when she made her debut on Game of Thrones in 2011. As the actress told InStyle in 2017, this was a huge perk. "I found it easier to date someone who understands the industry or is in that world,” she revealed. “You realize that you're not going to see each other all the time. And you don't feel like a jerk when you're like, 'My publicist says I can't do this...'"

Jonas was also able to support his love when she needed it most. “I think for the longest time I didn’t have a real sense of myself,” Turner told Glamour UK in March 2019. “I had a bit of an identity crisis where I was playing all these people and I’d grown up faster than I probably should have done.”

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. That was probably the biggest thing that pushed me to find who I am – and find my happiness in things other than acting.

Sophie Turner to Glamour UK

They don’t take themselves seriously

There’s nothing funny about their relationship, but Jonas and Turner aren’t afraid to have fun. In fact, they never take themselves too seriously. Jonas opened up about their shared love of silliness in 2016, tellingPeople, “I would say she’s gotta have a sense of humor and find my weird sense of humor funny.”

A prime example is the couple’s penchant for epic Halloween costumes. In 2018, Jonas donned a blue dress and red wig to transform into Sansa Stark while the real Sansa Stark (aka Sophie Turner) opted for an elephant onesie.

Even their wedding day has become a chance to show off their fun-loving personalities. As Jonas told James Corden in March 2019, “We’re going to have a flag rugby game at the wedding and a flag football game.”

Being independent is key

Yes, they love spending time together and yes, they understand each other, but one of the biggest keys to success for Jonas and Turner has been their ability to remain independent... yet fully supportive.

Case in point: The young actress has made no secret that she currently prioritizes her career above almost everything else. After all, despite getting engaged in October 2017, the pair had yet to tie the knot by April 2019.

In an interview with Marie Claire, Turner confirmed that she hasn’t forgotten about her personal goals and ambitions. “There's this weird misconception that being married is the greatest thing that'll ever happen to you,” she noted.

“But I've always found that my career is something I work for, and when I achieve something, there's a sense that this is the greatest thing I'll do in my life.”

Turner went on to elaborate, “Not like I achieved anything, but I found my person, like I'd find a house that I love and want to stay in forever. There's a sense of peace that comes with finding your person. But there's a drive that comes with your career."

She also can’t believe anyone would be interested in her personal life. “It’s frustrating [that] it’s the most mundane things that make the news — how boring!” she told Marie Claire UK. “There are really no other headlines?!”

Unbreakable family ties

Jonas and Turner love spending time together with their parents. From the couple lunching with Turner’s mom and dad, to going to Knicks games with them, to shopping with Joe’s parents -- they can’t get enough of each other.

It isn't just their parents who approve of their relationship, either. Their siblings - and siblings-in-law - are also genuinely fond of each other. For example, following Nick’s wedding to Priyanka Chopra in August 2018, Turner posted an image of the beaming couple to her Instagram and couldn’t help but gush about the special place they hold in her heart. “First I’m blessed with an incredible future brother-in-law, and now such an beautiful, inside and out, future sister-in-law,” she wrote. “I’m so excited to welcome you into the family @priyankachopra. I love you both @nickjonas.”

The family bond just keeps getting stronger. In December 2018, the Jonas and Turner families got together to celebrate Christmas in Turner’s native Warwick, England. The guest list for the festive dinner, which took place at Turner’s parents’ home, included both of Joe’s parents, as well as two of his brothers (Nick and Frankie), “future sister-in-law” Priyanka Chopra and her mom, Madhu Chopra. There’s no family drama here!

Other inspiring love stories:

• Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Prove the Power of a Well Executed Text
• Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka’s Romance Was Built on Open Communication
• How Kate Middleton and Prince William’s College Romance Became a Real-Life Fairytale