What Really Happened Between Will Smith And Tyra Banks?
While a lot has been reported about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, not too much is known about Will's life before their relationship — or at least his dating life. Before Will married Jada in a secret ceremony in 1997, per Us Weekly, he was married to his ex-wife Sheree Zampino from 1992 to 1995. The two share a son together named Trey, and Zampino is actually very supportive of Will's Hollywood career.
However, Will did say that their divorce was perhaps one of the most traumatic moments he's experienced as an adult. He made his comments while on "Red Table Talk" back in 2020. "Divorce was the ultimate failure for me. I've been hurt a lot in my adult life, but I don't think anything touches the failure of getting divorced from my 2-year-old son's mother," he said at the time.
And while WIll has certainly been candid about his life with Jada, along with his marriage and divorce from Zampino, there's another big-name celebrity he has history with: Tyra Banks. In fact, not a lot of people know the real deal between Will and Banks and what their history looks like. And no, the truth about Will and Banks is probably not what you think at all.
Tyra Bank and Will Smith's on-screen history started in Philly
For those wondering if Will Smith and Tyra Banks' relationship was the romantic kind, that's actually not the case. Smith and Banks' professional relationship and even friendship goes way back, as the former supermodel's first acting gig was on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Banks actually appeared on the show in eight different episodes back in 1993. She played Smith's girlfriend Jackie from Philly. Jackie surprised Will in Los Angeles after winning a basketball scholarship and during one particular scene, hit him with some truth.
According to Entertainment Weekly, both Smith and Banks enjoyed a little trip down memory lane when they reunited and revisited a famous scene in which their characters had a heated argument. "This next piece is one of my favorite moments. I love that we did that," Smith said in his Instagram video. If that weren't enough, it seemed like Banks still remembered each and every word from that script, as she managed to say them out loud again nearly 30 years later.
Clearly, Smith and Banks are still as tight as they can be, however, there is something else that connects the two of them both on screen and off. And for those thinking that the two had dated or had gotten up close and personal, you might want to think again.
Tyra Banks' inside joke with Will Smith
Back in 2019, Tyra Banks shared a throwback photo of her and Will Smith during an episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." In her Instagram post, she wished Smith a "Happy Birdhat," which was not only an intentional misspelling of the word birthday, but also an inside joke between them. Banks was referencing an actual hat that she wore with feathers on the show. While there's no evidence that the two of them had ever dated, the two are still close enough to share inside jokes with one another.
That said, Banks did go on to star in the 1999 hit "Coyote Ugly" and lesser-known films such as "Love Stinks" and "Halloween Resurrection." And while Smith and Banks haven't crossed paths since "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," or at least professionally, it's good to know that they can still have a good laugh together so many years later. Plus, there's no denying that Jackie from Philly was perhaps the best ex-girlfriend the Fresh Prince had ever had. Heck, we'd even forgive her for the birdhat, too.