The thing about Hollywood marriages is that they usually end with a loud bang or a very expensive publicist-penned statement about "mutual respect." But when it comes to Olivia Thirlby and Jacques Pienaar, the story feels different. It wasn't a tabloid fixture. It wasn't a red-carpet circus. Instead, it was a decade-long chapter of an actress's life that began on a gritty film set in South Africa and ended quietly in a Los Angeles courthouse.
If you remember Thirlby as the quick-witted best friend in Juno, you might have missed her evolution into a sci-fi icon and, more recently, a standout in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. But while her career has been a steady climb, her personal life—specifically her marriage to Pienaar—is something fans are still piecing together. Honestly, the timeline is more complex than most people realize.
How It All Started on the Set of Dredd
Most people assume actors meet at parties. Olivia and Jacques met in the mud.
Back in 2012, Thirlby was in Cape Town filming the cult classic Dredd. She played Judge Cassandra Anderson, a psychic rookie navigating a dystopian wasteland. Jacques Pienaar wasn't in front of the camera; he was a boom operator, part of the literal backbone of the production crew. There’s something undeniably grounded about that, isn't there? An A-list actress falling for a guy who’s holding the microphone just out of the frame.
They hit it off fast. By the time the film wrapped, they were a thing.
They didn't rush to the altar. They dated for about two years before tying the knot on December 28, 2014. For a long time, they seemed like the "cool" couple of the indie film world. They posted grainy, heartfelt photos on Instagram. Thirlby once called him her "adventure buddy" and "best friend." It felt real because it wasn't polished.
📖 Related: Kendra Wilkinson Photos: Why Her Latest Career Pivot Changes Everything
The Breakdown: Why Did They Split?
Life happens.
In March 2021, the news broke that Jacques Pienaar had filed for divorce. After nearly seven years of marriage and nine years together, the "adventure" had reached its final stop. The filing cited the standard "irreconcilable differences," which is basically legal-speak for we don't work anymore.
But here is where it gets interesting for the internet sleuths.
Around the same time their marriage was winding down, the narrative around Thirlby's past started to shift. In 2023, Elliot Page released his memoir, Pageboy. In it, Page revealed a "passionate" and "all-encompassing" affair with Thirlby during the filming of Juno back in 2007. While this happened years before Thirlby even met Pienaar, it refocused the spotlight on her personal life just as her marriage was officially dissolved.
Thirlby has always been open about her identity. She came out as bisexual in 2011, right around the time she was meeting Jacques. She’s gone on record saying that "loving people is a necessary part of being human," and she refused to hide that part of herself, even while being married to a man.
👉 See also: What Really Happened With the Brittany Snow Divorce
Why the Public is Still Searching for Them
You’ve probably noticed that when you search for Olivia Thirlby and Jacques Pienaar, you don't find much recent news. That’s intentional.
- Privacy was their priority. Neither Jacques nor Olivia used their marriage for "clout."
- The divorce was low-drama. No public fights over assets or messy "leaks" to TMZ.
- They moved on. Jacques has largely stayed out of the public eye, continuing his work in production, while Olivia has focused on a massive career resurgence.
Basically, they did the "un-Hollywood" thing. They lived their lives, realized it wasn't working, and walked away without making it everyone else's business.
Where is Olivia Thirlby Now?
Fast forward to 2026. Olivia isn't just "the girl from Juno" anymore.
Her role as Lilli Hornig in Oppenheimer reminded everyone that she has serious dramatic chops. She’s also been linked to major upcoming projects like Wuthering Heights and even rumors of a Peaky Blinders film involvement. She’s living in New York, looking healthy, and seems to be in a phase of life where the work speaks louder than the wedding ring (or lack thereof).
As for Jacques, he continues to be a respected name in the South African and international film industry. You’ll still see his name in the credits of major productions, just where he’s always been—behind the scenes.
✨ Don't miss: Danny DeVito Wife Height: What Most People Get Wrong
The Takeaway
Relationships don't have to be "failures" just because they end. For Olivia Thirlby and Jacques Pienaar, their marriage represented a specific era of their lives—one born out of a shared love for filmmaking.
If you’re looking for a scandal here, you’re going to be disappointed. What you’ll find instead is a story about two people who grew together for a decade and then grew apart. It’s human. It’s a bit sad, sure, but it’s also remarkably normal for a place as chaotic as Hollywood.
Next steps for fans:
If you want to support Olivia’s current chapter, skip the gossip blogs and go watch her performance in Goliath or Y: The Last Man. Her career is currently in its most interesting phase yet, and that’s a lot more exciting than a divorce filing from five years ago. Keep an eye on the 2026 festival circuit; she’s expected to have at least two indie projects premiering this fall.