So true. And it is likely that given their relative circumstances, he filed taxes jointly without letting Jesyka know about it.

This is what H&R Block, which is a fairly authoritative source, says about it:

Married Filing Separately might benefit you if you have to use the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) on a joint return (Only true if only one spouse is liable on a separate return) because the spouse with the lower income can qualify for tax deductions only by filing a separate return.

None of these circumstances applied to Jesyka and her husband.