5 Red Flags Will Smith And Jada Pinkett Smith's Marriage Was Never Going To Last
After years of their rumored troubled marriage, Jada Pinkett Smith recently made a bombshell revelation, confirming that she and her longtime husband Will Smith have been separated for seven years. The "Girls Trip" actor, who is set to release her memoir "Worthy" on October 17, revealed that they reached the agreement to live separate lives back in 2016. "Why it fractured ... that — that's a lot of things ... By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both kind of just still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be," Pinkett explained in an exclusive interview with "Today"'s Hoda Kotb. Despite the years-long separation though, Pinkett Smith admits that a divorce is currently not in sight for the couple. "I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through ... whatever. I just haven't been able to break that promise," she added.
Pinkett Smith's new revelation comes after the couple announced during a 2018 episode of "Red Table Talk" that they were never going to get divorced. While the "Bad Moms" star claimed divorce had never crossed her mind, Smith admitted, "It was never even a consideration." Still, in the wake of Pinkett Smith's reveal, many are convinced that the red flags were always glaring.
Jada's 'entanglement' scandal with August Alsina
In a July 2010 episode of "Red Table Talk," Jada Pinkett Smith admitted to having a fling with singer August Alsina, whom she met through her son Jaden Smith. "Four and a half years ago ... I started a friendship with August and we actually became really, really good friends. And it all started with him just needing some help, me wanting to help his health, his mental state," she noted. And while Pinkett Smith was able to help Alsina through his struggles at the time, things between the two eventually took a romantic turn. At the time, Smith and the "Red Table Talk" co-host were having difficulties in their marriage and had "decided that we were going to separate for a period of time."
News of Pinkett Smith's relationship with Alsina first came to light in June 2020 when the singer revealed he entered into a romantic relationship with the award-winning talk show host after getting permission from Smith himself. "I totally gave myself to that relationship for years of my life, and I truly and really, really deeply love and have a ton of love for her," Alsina shared in an interview with Angela Yee.
While speaking on her romance with the singer, Pinkett Smith defined it as an "entanglement," noting that it provided her with temporary emotional safety. "I just wanted to feel good. It had been so long since I felt good. And it was really a joy to just help heal somebody," Pinkett Smith admitted.
Will admitted he had an unconventional marriage with Jada
While Jada Pinkett Smith's romance with August Alsina sparked controversy and drew backlash from fans, Will Smith later admitted to having a peculiar marriage with the "Girls Trip" star. "Jada never believed in conventional marriage ... Jada had family members that had an unconventional relationship. So she grew up in a way that was very different than how I grew up. There were significant endless discussions about, what is relational perfection?" Smith told GQ in 2021. Consequently, the couple decided on a non-monogamous relationship. During the interview, Smith also admitted to having sexual relationships outside of his marriage to Pinkett Smith.
In a separate sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, Smith explained his and Pinkett Smith's decision to practice loving freely and allowing each other the freedom to sometimes step out. "The simple idea is you love in freedom with everybody except your partner. Your kids are gonna go off to college and you're gonna wait for them to come back ... there is a certain fluidity in your interaction. It's friendship versus marital prison."
In his 2021 memoir "Will," Smith detailed his strained relationship with the "Set it Off" star, noting that they gave up trying to make each other happy at some point. "We agreed that she had to make herself happy and I had to make myself happy," he wrote (via The U.S. Sun).
Will Smith assaulted Chris Rock in Jada's defense
At the 2022 Academy Awards, Will Smith had jaws dropping after getting into an altercation with comedian Chris Rock. Rock, who was on stage to present the best documentary feature category, made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald haircut which she was forced to get following her struggle with alopecia. In response to the joke, Smith then walked on stage, striking Rock right across the face. "Keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth!" Smith yelled as he walked back to his seat. The following day, the "Bad Boys" star issued an apology to Rock, admitting that his behavior was unacceptable. "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong," he added in the statement. As punishment for his actions, Smith resigned from his Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences membership and subsequently received a 10-year ban prohibiting him from Academy Awards-related events.
Three months later, Smith released a YouTube video addressing the incident and apologizing to Rock and his family, as well as Pinkett Smith and his fellow award winners that night. "The work I'm trying to do is that I'm deeply remorseful and I'm trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself," he added in the clip.
Jada did not mind watching Will's onscreen intimate moments
Many Hollywood stars might cringe at the thought of watching their partners getting intimate with their on-screen love interests but for Jada Pinkett Smith, it's more of a turn-on. In 2015, the Baltimore native revealed that she enjoyed watching Will Smith's sex scenes with his "Focus" co-star Margot Robbie. "It's kind of a nice voyeuristic way to see your man, but I am kind of weird in that way. That's a whole other conversation," she confessed in a red-carpet interview with Extra.
Similarly, the "Magic Mike 2" star once admitted she did not mind Smith having crushes or being attracted to other women. "I'm not the kind of woman that believes that a man is not gonna be attracted to other women. I'm just not that girl. It's just not realistic," she said during a 2015 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show."
Pinkett Smith further defended her stance, explaining that if Smith was unable to see the beauty in other women, he would be unable to see hers as well. "Just because your man is attracted to another woman does not mean he doesn't love you," she added.
Jada once admitted they mostly have differing opinions
While it is considered normal to occasionally disagree with your partner's opinions or beliefs, it is potentially a red flag when you can't seem to agree on anything. Back in 2009, Pinkett Smith opened up about her marriage to Will Smith, revealing that despite their years-long romance, they often struggled to agree on things. "We hardly ever agree on anything, and we've learned to really respect that in our relationship," she told Redbook magazine. "You might have an idea in your mind of what a marriage is supposed to be, and you're driving, driving, driving toward this ideal picture. But you have to be open to the fact that your relationship is meant to be something else." Despite their differences though, Pinkett Smith defended that being unpredictable fueled more passion in their romance. "That's part of the reason we've been able to be together the way that we are for so long. We're constantly surprising each other," she added.
When asked for tips to a long-lasting relationship, Pinkett Smith recommended putting in effort to look good, talking to your partner, and making time for them as well. Going by Smith and Pinkett Smith's now-seven-year separation though, you just might want to take that advice with a grain of salt.