In a recent interview, Jada Pinkett Smith disclosed that she and her husband, Will Smith, have been living separately since 2016. Although they had been leading independent lives for seven years, they had chosen not to publicly acknowledge their separation until now, citing exhaustion with the effort. Despite maintaining separate residences, the couple has no plans to divorce.
Pinkett Smith, aged 52, expressed her commitment to not getting a divorce, a promise she made to herself. She explained that they were both caught up in their idealized visions of each other, leading to their separation. This revelation coincides with the upcoming release of her memoir, “Worthy.”
The couple made headlines the previous year when Will Smith interrupted the Oscars by slapping host Chris Rock for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness, a result of her alopecia condition.
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In a different interview, Jada Pinkett Smith mentioned that she initially thought the incident was part of a scripted skit, only realizing it wasn’t when Will returned to his seat. She emphasized her support for her husband while allowing him to navigate this situation independently.
Concerns about their marriage first arose in 2020 when they discussed Jada Pinkett Smith’s “entanglement” with artist August Alsina on her Facebook show, Red Table Talk. The couple met in 1994 during Jada Pinkett Smith’s audition for Will Smith’s show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and they got married in 1997. They have two children together, Jaden Smith and Willow Smith, and Will Smith has a son named Trey Smith from his first marriage to Sheree Zampino.