Happy 16-Year Married Couple Breaks Up After Shocking Truth Comes To Light

A happy 16-year marriage that produced three kids came to an end when a secret was revealed. Matthew Turner and Jessica Turner shared their reasons for ending their marriage and the ways they co-parented their children.

Marrying is much more than just a legal marriage. It’s a lifetime commitment between two people that love each other. But not all marriages are meant to last.

Matthew Turner and Jessica Turner separated after 16 years of marriage. They still try to be the best parents for their three children.

Matthew and Jessica Turner smile for a family photo with their three kids. | Source: instagram.com/matthewpaulturner

Matthew, a best-selling Christian children’s book author, found difficulty coming to terms with the secret he hid from his wife. Their marriage ended when the truth finally came out. He shared:

“Being gay isn’t a new discovery for me. However, as someone who spent 30+ years in fundamentalist/evangelical churches. […] I lived many days overwhelmed by fear, shame, and self-hatred.”

Despite his true identity, the couple fought to keep their marriage together. Sadly, the best step for Matthew was to go their separate ways. “I wanted Matthew to be whole and happy,” Jessica said.

The pair share three kids, Ezra, 6, Adeline, 10, and Elias, 13, who all cried when they learned about the divorce. In an interview with Today, the pair shared that one of their kids asked why Matthew married Jessica if he was gay.

Matthew and Jesica co-parent and share time with their children, regardless of the circumstances. They also enjoy being together on special occasions, such as holidays and birthdays.

Happy 16-Year Married Couple Breaks Up After Shocking Truth Comes To Light

The former couple first met in 2003 when Jessica was a college student at the University of Wisconsin and Matthew was the CCM Magazine editor.

Matthew and Jessica fell in love, and they were married in 2004. Matthew was openly gay at the time but did not want to be gay because of his beliefs. He shared:

“I was very very afraid. Lots of going to God and asking him to take these feelings away. Lots of guilt and shame and just the determination to stay on the straight and narrow […] I could not be gay. It was not acceptable.”

In 2019, the pair tried marriage counseling after Matthew felt unhappy and depressed. He only revealed that he was gay after this.

Jessica admitted that she grieves the loss of their relationship, especially since she saw a future with Matthew. Although they will always be together, it won’t be the way Jessica imagined.

Matthew and Jessica remain supportive of each other, despite the difficulties in their relationship. Matthew even credits his ex-wife with helping him get out in the open.

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