Jada Pinkett Smith, the prominent actress, recently divulged that she and her renowned husband, Will Smith, have been separated since 2016. This revelation comes as a surprise to many fans who were previously unaware of the status of the couple’s marriage.
In a candid interview on October 11 with Hoda Kotb, Jada explained the reasons behind their discreet separation. “I think just not being ready yet, still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in partnership… And we hadn’t figure that out.” She added, commenting on their struggles, “I think by the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.”
In another conversation with People magazine, Jada further shared, “We’re still figuring it out. We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”
This revelation sheds new light on the 2022 Oscars incident where Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock for making a comment about Jada’s shaved head, resulting from her battle with alopecia. Contrary to the perception that it was a pre-planned skit, Jada revealed her genuine shock: “I thought, ‘This is a skit.’ It wasn’t until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn’t a skit.”
Post the incident, Will resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and was banned from its events for a decade. While he issued an apology, stating Jada “had nothing to do” with his reaction, Chris Rock in his 2023 Netflix comedy special said that “nobody was pickin’ on” Jada.
The Hollywood couple tied the knot in 1997 and are parents to Jaden Smith, 25, and Willow Smith, 22. Over the years, their relationship has been under the public’s scrutiny, with the 2020 revelation of Jada’s “entanglement” with August Alsina making headlines. Speaking about it, Jada stated, “It was a relationship. I was in a lot of pain and I was very broken.”
Jada continues to be open about her life and experiences. Her upcoming book “Worthy,” set to release on October 17, promises to be a deep dive into her complex marriage with Will and her personal journey to self-love.