Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been candid concerning the deep love that they share for one another.

After getting married in 1997, the couple welcomed their son, Jaden, in 1998 and their daughter, Willow, in 2000.

In Jada Pinkett Smith’s upcoming memoir, “Worthy,” the actor opens up concerning the inspirational and painful moments in her life, together with the truth that she and Smith have separated and have been dwelling “utterly separate lives” since 2016.

In a preview clip that aired Oct. 11 from Pinkett Smith’s upcoming NBC Information primetime particular with Hoda Kotb — which airs Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC — the actor revealed that though her and Smith are nonetheless legally married, they’re now not romantically collectively.

“I feel we had been each type of simply nonetheless caught in our fantasy of what we thought the opposite individual needs to be,” she defined of what precipitated the breakdown of their marriage.

Pinkett Smith added that whereas she has considered divorcing, she’s by no means been capable of comply with via with it.

“I made a promise that there’ll by no means be a cause for us to break up. We’ll work via … no matter,” Pinkett Smith stated. “I simply haven’t been capable of break that promise.”

Learn on to study extra about Pinkett Smith and Smith’s relationship.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith meet

Throughout a 2018 look on Pinkett Smith’s Fb Watch sequence, “Purple Desk Discuss,” Smith talked about his marriage to Pinkett Smith and revealed how they met.

Whereas sitting throughout from her husband, Pinkett Smith stated, “The primary time I met you was on the ‘Recent Prince’ after I got here to audition. I feel I used to be 19 and so they advised me I used to be too quick. However you had been there.”

“Sure,” Smith replied.

The “I Am Legend” actor then stated that he already knew of her as a result of she was on the hit TV present “A Totally different World,” the place she performed the character, Lena James.

“I knew there was one thing in our power that will be magic,” he stated.

Whereas telling the story, Smith stated he requested his “Recent Prince” co-star Alfonso Ribeiro if he might set them up on a date and Ribeiro stated he knew somebody that might introduce them.

Smith stated he then went to a taping of “A Totally different World” throughout the first season of “The Recent Prince of Bel-Air” to fulfill Pinkett Smith, however he ended up assembly his first spouse, Sheree Fletcher Zampino, who can be the mom of his oldest son, Trey, as an alternative.

“I walked in. I sat down within the viewers and the taping began after which Alf was like, ‘That is my boy that is aware of her.’ And he sat down and I used to be like, ‘Yo, who’s that woman he is with?'” Smith recalled. “The dude that was going to introduce me to Jada was with one other woman and I used to be like, ‘Who’s that?’ And it was Sheree. I went to ‘A Totally different World’ to fulfill Jada and met Sheree and ended up marrying Sheree and having Trey with Sheree.”

After a number of “close to misses” of assembly Pinkett Smith, Smith stated he lastly received the possibility to speak to her at an occasion that Tisha Campbell and her then-husband, Duane Martin, held.

“We had that second and we linked,” he stated. “However I used to be married. That was it.”

Pinkett Smith added, “We didn’t have an affair whereas he was married. Let’s be clear about that.”

Will Smith and Sheree Fletcher Zampino get divorced

In 1995, Smith and his first spouse, Sheree Fletcher Zampino, received divorced.

Whereas recalling the second on “Purple Desk Discuss,” Smith stated he had doubts about their marriage main as much as the divorce, however since he did not consider in divorce, he nonetheless continued on with their relationship.

It wasn’t till Zampino filed for divorce from the “Males in Black” actor on Valentine’s Day that he began to appreciate their relationship was over.

“She hit me arduous,” he stated.

“I used to be like, ‘Ouch! Ouch! And I nonetheless advised her, I stated, ‘No. You possibly can’t have a divorce and he or she hit me with the, ‘So you are going to make any individual stick with you who does not love you?’ And I stated, ‘I am truly not. Nope, I am not. And that was the one which received me,” he stated.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith reconnect

After realizing his marriage was over, Smith stated on “Purple Desk Discuss,” that he then received in touch with Pinkett Smith. She was in her hometown of Baltimore on the time.

“I stated, ‘Hey Jada, what’s up? It is Will.’ She stated, ‘Hey, how are you doing? I stated, ‘OK, are you seeing anyone?'” Smith recalled of their telephone dialog after he signed his divorce papers. “And he or she stated, ‘Um … no.’ I stated, ‘Cool, you are seeing me now.'”

“And my dumba– was like, ‘OK,'” Pinkett Smith laughed.

Smith defined that Pinkett Smith then moved again to L.A. to be with him and “by no means spent one evening” within the new home that she purchased in Baltimore.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith get married

In 1997, Smith and Pinkett Smith tied the knot whereas Pinkett Smith was “three months pregnant” with their firstborn little one, son Jaden, the couple stated on “Purple Desk Discuss.”

Pinkett Smith stated that she by no means wished to get married and felt “pressured” by her mom to stroll down the aisle.

“I used to be below a lot strain being a younger actress and pregnant, and I didn’t know what to do,” she stated.

“My first trimester was horrible. I used to be so upset that I needed to have a marriage. I used to be so pissed. I went crying down the freaking aisle getting married,” she added.

After listening to her daughter’s woes, Pinkett Smith’s mother apologized for not respecting her needs.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t respect your needs. It was completely a egocentric: ‘I’ll by no means have that have of my daughter getting married’ since you had been my solely little one,” she stated.

Smith, on his finish, stated that he was blissful to stroll down the aisle once more.

“I used to be like, ‘Hey!'” he joked whereas pretending to stroll down the aisle with Pinkett Smith.

“There wasn’t a day in my life that I wished something apart from being married and having a household,” he added.

Smith, in his 2021 memoir, wrote that the normal marriage ceremony ceremony was a sacrifice for Jada: “This may be the primary of many compromises Jada would make through the years that painfully negated her personal values.”

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith welcome son Jaden

Smith and Pinkett Smith welcomed their first little one, son Jaden, in July 1998.

For Jaden’s twenty first birthday, his mother talked concerning the love she has for him and stated he was her “first expertise of tangible love.”

“After my first trimester … being pregnant with you had been a number of the happiest moments of my life,” she wrote on Fb. “You had been tangible pleasure. While you had been born you turned my first expertise of tangible love. You may have taught me a lot about love and kindness. You may have been a strong instructor in my life. I really feel so blessed you selected me to be your mother. Blissful twenty first to one in all my dearest treasures. I like you Jaden.”

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith welcome daughter Willow

In October 2000, Smith and Pinkett welcomed their second little one, daughter Willow Smith.

When Willow turned 21 years outdated, she received a candy shout-out from her mother on Instagram.

The heartfelt caption learn, “My child ain’t no child no mo’! You’re 21 Ms @willowsmith! Your dad INSISTED that he have a child woman and I’m sooooo glad he did. You’re some of the resilient, brave, good, insightful, proficient, stunning people I do know.”

Pinkett Smith continued, sharing her hopes for her youngest.

“I don’t have the phrases to precise the deep love I’ve for you or how blissful I’m to observe you unfold your wings,” she wrote. “BUT… I hope you may FEEL how a lot I like you and the way a lot of a Divinely astounding blessing you’re to me. Blissful freak’n twenty first Willoween Bean!!!!!!!.”

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith tackle rumors about them being in an open marriage

In April 2013, Pinkett Smith appeared on HuffPost Dwell and addressed rumors that she and Smith had been in an open marriage after followers began speculating that Pinkett Smith cheated on her husband with Marc Anthony.

“I’ve all the time advised Will, ‘You are able to do no matter you need so long as you may have a look at your self within the mirror and be okay,’” she stated on the time. “As a result of on the finish of the day, Will is his personal man. I’m right here as his companion, however he’s his personal man. He has to determine who he desires to be and that’s not for me to do for him. Or vice versa.” 

After Pinkett Smith’s assertion was met with some backlash on-line, the “Set It Off” actor determined to make clear her feedback on Fb.

She stated, “Open marriage? Let me first say this, there are way more necessary issues to speak about with regard to what’s occurring on the planet than whether or not I’ve an open marriage or not. I’m addressing this subject as a result of an important topic has been born from discussions about my assertion which may be worthy of addressing.”

“Right here is how I’ll change my assertion … Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we would like, as a result of we TRUST one another to take action,” she stated. “This does NOT imply we have now an open relationship…this implies we have now a GROWN one.”

Jada Pinkett Smith addresses allegations she had an affair with August Alsina

In 2020, Pinkett Smith and Smith’s relationship was again within the highlight when singer August Alsina claimed he had beforehand been in a romantic relationship with Pinkett Smith.

In gentle of his feedback, Pinkett Smith invited Alsina and Smith on “Purple Desk Discuss” so they might have a dialogue about it and that was when Pinkett Smith acknowledged that she and Alsina had been greater than pals.

She defined their relationship turned romantic when she and Smith had been briefly separated.

“About 4 and a half years in the past … I began a friendship with August. We truly turned actually, actually good pals,” Pinkett Smith stated. “It began with him simply needing some assist, ? Me wanting to assist his well being, his psychological state.”

“You and I had been going via a really tough time,” she advised Smith, who jokingly replied, “I used to be achieved along with your ass.”

“Yeah, you kicked me to the curb,” Pinkett Smith stated.

The “Madagascar” actor famous that she was “in loads of ache” on the time and “damaged” and that was when she “received into a special type of entanglement” with Alsina.

“A relationship,” Smith clarified.

However as soon as they began spending time collectively, Pinkett Smith stated she realized she wished to be together with her husband once more. When she advised Alsina, he broke off communication together with her, and he or she stated they haven’t spoken since.

In 2018, they open up about 2011 breakup

The couple broke up in 2011, and opened up concerning the incident that precipitated the breakup in a 2018 episode of Purple Desk Discuss.

It started at Pinkett Smith’s fortieth birthday, throughout which Smith employed Mary J. Blige to carry out and put collectively a video about Pinkett Smith’s lineage.

Pinkett Smith did not welcome the gesture.

“She’s like, it’s my birthday and he or she advised me that the celebration was probably the most ridiculous show of my ego,” Smith stated on Purple Desk Discuss. “Crushed, proper? And to this present day I do know I used to be crushed as a result of it was true. It wasn’t a celebration for her. When she referred to as me on that, that’s after I snapped and that’s the one time you ever heard me snap. I snapped in entrance of Willow and Willow begins crying and he or she’s like, ‘Simply determine it out.’”

Smith had extra to say in his memoir, “Will,” writing of the time, “Our marriage wasn’t working. We might now not fake. We had been each depressing and clearly one thing needed to change.”

Will Smith defends Jada Pinkett Smith on the Oscars

Smith made headlines on the 2022 Oscars when he received up out of his seat to slap Chris Rock after the host made a joke about Pinkett Smith on stage.

Rock joked about Pinkett Smith’s bald coiffure and stated she was starring in a sequel to “G.I. Jane.”

Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, an autoimmune situation that causes hair loss.

After laughing off the joke, Smith then received on stage and slapped Rock proper throughout his face. He then appeared to yell, “Maintain my spouse’s title out of your mouth.”

After the controversial second, Smith apologized to Rock in a video he shared on Instagram.

“Chris, I apologize to you. My conduct was unacceptable and I’m right here everytime you’re prepared to speak,” he stated.

Pinkett Smith additionally talked about her husband’s actions in a June 2022 episode of “Purple Desk Discuss.” On the present, she stated she hopes that Smith and Rock can have an “alternative to heal, speak this out and reconcile.”

“The state of the world immediately, we’d like them each, and all of us really need each other greater than ever,” she stated. “Till then, Will and I are persevering with to do what we have now achieved for the final 28 years, and that’s preserve determining this factor referred to as life collectively. Thanks for listening.”