NEW YORK – In a candid revelation, Jada Pinkett Smith has disclosed that she and her husband, Will Smith, have been living “completely separate lives” since 2016.
The actress and host shared this personal insight in an upcoming NBC News primetime special with Hoda Kotb.
Pinkett Smith, 52, revealed that the couple had chosen not to disclose their separation earlier because they weren’t prepared for it: “We were still trying to figure out between the two of us, how to be in partnership. How do we present that to people? We hadn’t figured that out.”
The couple, who have been married since 1997, remains legally married, emphasizing the complexity of their relationship.
Despite the separation, their marriage faced significant scrutiny. In July 2020, singer August Alsina revealed that he had been romantically involved with Pinkett Smith.
She later confirmed the relationship, describing it as an “entanglement” during an episode of “Red Table Talk.”
Pinkett Smith explained that this occurred during a difficult period in their marriage.
Their relationship faced further public attention during the 2022 Academy Awards when Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock after a joke about Pinkett Smith’s hair. She has alopecia, which has led to hair loss.
In a recent interview with People magazine, Pinkett Smith shared her initial reaction to the Oscars incident, stating, “I thought, ‘This is a skit. I was like, ‘There’s no way that Will hit him.’ It wasn’t until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn’t a skit.”
She asked her husband if he was okay once they were alone.
Reflecting on the fracture of her marriage, Pinkett Smith identified “a lot of things” that contributed to the separation.
She noted that by 2016, they were both “exhausted with trying” and still holding onto their idealized versions of each other.
Pinkett Smith explained that she had made a promise to herself to avoid divorce, saying, “I made a promise to myself that there would never be a reason for me and Will to divorce, and I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”
Jada Pinkett Smith delves deeper into her marriage, career, and early life in her upcoming memoir, “Worthy,” set to release on October 17.
The memoir promises to provide readers with further insights into her personal journey and experiences.
