The gleaming facade of Hollywood hides many tales, and none as captivating as the complicated love story of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. With Jada's recent disclosure about their hidden seven-year separation, the duo's relationship is under renewed scrutiny.
When Jada cried down the aisle
Meeting on the sets auditioning for a role as Will's girlfriend on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1994, Will and Jada's initial connection was undeniable. Despite Jada missing out on the role due to her height, a deeper bond formed. "I knew there was something in our energy that would be magic," Will confessed.
However, these feelings arose while Will was married to Sheree Zampino. He grappled with his feelings, revealing: "I had a realization I wasn’t with the person I was supposed to be with."
Once divorced, he wasted no time, narrating his bold move on the Red Table Talk: "I [called Jada and] said, 'Hey Jada, what's up? It's Will.' She said, 'Hey, how are you doing?' I said, 'OK, are you seeing anybody?' And she said, 'Um ... no.' I said, 'Cool, you're seeing me now.'"
© Mike CoppolaThe two quickly became inseparable. However, Jada's hesitance towards traditional marriage clouded their union in 1997. She divulged to People: "I never wanted to get married. But my mother was like, 'You have to get married' ... I was under so much pressure ... I went crying down the freaking aisle getting married."
Rumors of infidelity surface
Post-wedding, as they welcomed Jaden and Willow, relationship strains emerged. The Calabasas mansion, intended as a family haven, turned into a symbol of Jada's alienation. Will reflected on this, noting it was "a constant reminder of her 'misery.'"
Their marital journey was fraught with external speculations. Rumors of infidelity and an open relationship haunted their public image. Jada's ambiguous comments added fuel to the fire: "I’ve always told Will, 'You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be OK.'"
© George PimentelThe 2020 revelation of Jada's involvement with singer August Alsina deepened the intrigue. Addressing the affair, Jada admitted on Red Table Talk, "About four and a half years ago ... I started a friendship with August ... It all started with him just needing some help ... It had been so long since I felt good. And it was really a joy to just help heal someone."
Presenting a united front
Publicly, the couple continuously presented an unyielding bond. Will once passionately articulated: "We spent every single moment together ... We fit together so naturally ... We had an unspoken language." They redefined their relationship from marriage to "life partners," with Will asserting that they intended to remain together "for the rest of their lives."
© Neilson BarnardThe infamous slap
Yet, the tides shifted at the 2022 Oscars when Will's emotional defense of Jada against Chris Rock's joke came to the forefront. The aftermath saw Will express regret for his "poisonous and destructive" reaction but emphasized: "Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear."
But Jada’s relationship with Chris is much more complicated than just the 2022 Oscars slap.
"I think every summer all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce. And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce," she shared with People.
"So he called me and basically he was like, ‘I'd love to take you out.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘Well, aren't you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like, ‘No. Chris, those are just rumors.’ He was appalled. And he profusely apologized and that was that."
© Jeff KravitzLiving apart
Jada's recent bombshell on NBC News that the couple has been living apart since 2016 has raised eyebrows. Elaborating on their relationship struggles, Jada noted, "By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying ... I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce."
Will and Jada have continued to make red carpet appearances and social media posts together in the seven years since, and have never hinted at a split but Jada explained it was because they are "just not ready yet".
"[We're] still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in partnership, right… how do we present that to people, you know? And we hadn't figured that out," she admitted.
