The recent news of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett’s separation since 2016 didn’t exactly catch anyone off guard – it’s been a long time coming. Given all the digging we’ve done for our red flag videos and the unconventional nature of Will and Jada’s marriage, it’s been pretty clear for a while that their relationship was on shaky ground. But before we get a virtual slap from Will for poking our noses into his personal life, let’s not forget to swing by rrgsnacks.com for a munch – they’ve got everything from barbecue brisket to butter toffee peanuts.
Way back in 1992, Jada tried out for the role of Will’s on-screen girlfriend in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But the producers thought she was too short for the part, so she missed out. It was during lunch with his co-star Alfonso Ribeiro that Will first laid eyes on Jada as she walked past. In his memoir, which you can find in the description box, he admits it was love at first sight. Will, ever the charmer, greeted her with a casual “What up, Shy?” But Jada, still smarting from being rejected for the role, wasn’t in the mood and responded with a curt “Whatever.”
Alfonso eventually managed to track down Jada on behalf of Will, and he learned she was scheduled to appear on the sitcom A Different World. So, after they wrapped up filming for Fresh Prince, they made their way to the A Different World set. They took their seats in the audience, with Alfonso planning to approach Jada once filming was over. But fate had other plans. As luck would have it, he ended up sitting next to a woman named Sheree Zampino, and they hit it off instantly. It was a twist of fate, really. Alfonso never did get the chance to talk to Jada that day. Instead, he found himself swept off his feet by Sheree. They went out for dinner, and before they knew it, they were tying the knot just three months later. It’s pretty remarkable, isn’t it? Their son, Trey, came into the world in November 1992.
Will and Sheree’s marriage was like a dumpster fire, just hot and stinking. It all went down during the filming of Six Degrees of Separation when Will caught feelings for his co-star, Stalker Channing. Can you believe that mess? And the arguments between him and Sheree? They’d argue about anything and everything, even how she washed their skillets. “Then wash yourself!” she’d snap back. When Sheree needed some space and went back home to upstate New York, Will’s buddies Dwayne Martin and Tisha Campbell invited him out, conveniently leaving out the fact that Jada would be there too. Talk about shady! They knew Will’s marriage was on the rocks but still set up this meet-up. During their conversation, ranging from college hoops to mysticism to Jada’s bond with Tupac, she felt this strong pull that Will was meant for her. But back to reality when they parted ways, and Will tried to patch things up with Sheree over dinner. But destiny had other plans. Overwhelmed, Will bolted to the bathroom and had an epiphany: he was married to the wrong woman. Sheree eventually figured out she was just holding the spot for Will and filed for divorce. And guess what? Just five days after getting served, Will rang up Jada, asking if she was seeing anyone. When she said no, he boldly claimed, “Well, now you’re seeing me.” Talk about nerve! They kept their budding romance on the down-low, traveling the world and living it up. Now that sounds like one wild ride, doesn’t it?
Even though Will knew that J harbored feelings for him, he openly admitted in his memoir that he couldn’t help but feel jealous of her deep connection with Tupac. Despite being in the same room with Tupac several times, Will confessed in his memoir, “The way Jada loved Pac made it hard for me to befriend him. I just wasn’t mature enough.” After Tupac’s passing in 1996, Jada continued to honor him both publicly and privately, which only intensified Will’s feelings of insecurity. But we’ll dive deeper into that in a moment.
The latest twist in the saga was Sheree’s change of heart, opting to give their relationship another chance for the sake of their son. When Will shared this with Jada, she encouraged him to mend things with his family. However, Will’s heart was set on Jada, so he went ahead and finalized the divorce papers, sealing their fate.
Their story took another turn when they found out they were expecting a baby. Will popped the question in late 1997 with a jaw-dropping $250,000 engagement ring. Despite saying yes, Jada wasn’t keen on traditional marriage. She had her doubts about the whole institution, from the ceremonies to the concept of lifelong monogamy. She wanted a commitment on her terms, without the religious or legal formalities.
In a candid moment on Red Table Talk, Jada opened up about the pressure she felt from both Will and her mom, Adrienne, to conform to societal norms. Adrienne, being Jada’s only child, was particularly insistent on a traditional wedding, fearing she’d miss out on witnessing her daughter’s big day. But Jada stood her ground, asserting her independence and refusing to succumb to societal expectations.
When the pressure reached its breaking point, Jada gave in, not wanting to disappoint her mom and Will. But she wasn’t thrilled about being a bride. She let her mom handle all the wedding planning, just going along with it. They tied the knot in 1997, in a private New Year’s Eve ceremony in Baltimore, with about 100 guests. Jada was battling morning sickness and was pretty miserable and uncooperative the whole day. She admitted, “I was so upset that I had to have a wedding. I cried the whole way down the aisle.” So not only did Jada have doubts about monogamy, she never even wanted to get married in the first place. She just let others talk her into something that went against her beliefs. You can imagine, that’s a recipe for disaster. From then on, Will has talked about what it’s like being married to someone who never wanted to marry in the first place. In his memoir, he wrote, “This would be the first of many compromises Jada would make over the years that painfully negated her own values.” Jada wasn’t even keen on taking Will’s last name. She wrote on Facebook that she was worried about being judged for not being an independent woman if she followed tradition. Eventually, she went with it, adding Smith to her name. But their marital issues lingered. They welcomed their son, Jaden, in July 1998, and their daughter, Willow, in October 2000. Jada opened up on BET’s Raq Rants about feeling a lot of resentment and struggling with the demands of parenthood. She and Will used to have these deep chats every morning, discussing life, dreams, and plans. But Will noticed a change in Jada. She stopped waking up her usual cheerful self and instead began waking up in tears.
Once, she found herself swept away in a torrent of tears that lasted a staggering 45 days. Yes, you heard that right—45 days straight! Jada opened up about her deeply personal battles, despite seemingly having it all: a loving family, a superstar husband, and a life filled with luxury. Yet, behind the façade, she wrestled with depression for a daunting two decades, grappling with complex trauma, PTSD, and dissociation.
The situation took a sour turn when Will convinced her to move into a sprawling 256-acre estate in Calabasas, a decision that clashed with Jada’s desire for a simpler life on a small farm. Despite her reservations, Will pressed on with the purchase, a decision he later regretted, acknowledging the folly of investing in a home his wife didn’t truly desire.
Adding fuel to the fire, Will orchestrated an elaborate 40th birthday bash for Jada in 2011, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As part of the festivities, he unveiled a documentary tracing her lineage back to slavery. Jada’s response was one of shock and disgust, condemning the gesture as a blatant display of ego. The ensuing argument led to a dramatic separation, prompting Will to step back from his relentless pursuit of her happiness.
But true to their nature, Will and Jada couldn’t stay apart for long. Despite the toll their breakups took on them, they eventually found their way back to each other. However, the cycle of separation and reconciliation took its toll, with negative interactions and dwindling satisfaction plaguing their relationship.
In a bid to salvage what remained, Jada and Will made a bold decision: to embrace an open marriage. Will candidly shared in an interview that their unconventional choice stemmed from Jada’s reluctance to adhere to traditional marital norms. They chose to prioritize trust and freedom, rejecting the notion of marriage as a stifling institution.
While their arrangement may raise eyebrows, for Will and Jada, it seemed to be the key to maintaining harmony in their relationship. After all, who are we to judge the intricacies of their journey together?
Back in 2011, there were whispers suggesting that Jada might be having something going on with her Hawthorne co-star, Marc Anthony, who, mind you, was married to Jennifer Lopez at the time. According to a source spilled to US Weekly, it wasn’t a full-blown affair, but things did get uncomfortably close between Jada and Marc. Fast forward to 2015, and there were similar murmurings about Will cozying up to his Focus co-star.
Now, let’s talk about that Wireless Festival in London in the same year. Jada was there to support her kids, Jaden and Willow, who were performing. And guess who she bumps into? A 22-year-old R&B crooner named August Alsina. Well, that sparked what Jada later termed as an “entanglement” between her and August. Turns out, Jada spilled the beans that she and Will were separated during that time, and August even claimed that Will gave his nod for their fling.
Folks felt for Will, having to share his lady with another dude. But hold up, Will had some revelations of his own when he chatted with GQ Magazine. He hinted that their marriage wasn’t exactly conventional on either side.
Despite Jada’s attempts to paint a picture of fiery passion with Will, she just couldn’t keep Tupac’s name out of her mouth. She even confessed to a kiss they shared, but insisted it never went beyond that. But hey, Tupac’s poetry and the emotional bond between him and Jada seemed to linger.
Even Willow, their daughter, penned a heartfelt letter to Tupac on social media, wishing he could come back to bring happiness to her and her mom. And when Jada posted Tupac’s “Lost Souls” poem in honor of what would’ve been his 50th birthday, the internet went wild.
One commenter even quipped, “Will Smith might be top-notch in everything else, but not in Jada’s heart.” And in his memoir, Will admitted feeling a bit tortured by the connection between Jada and Tupac. It begs the question: What was Jada’s deal with Tupac? Especially since she claims they never got together. Was he the one she truly wanted, with Will just playing second fiddle? Hmm, makes you wonder.
Behind closed doors, Will and Jada quietly parted ways back in 2016, while the public was none the wiser, amidst ongoing rumors of trouble in paradise. Yet, despite their personal struggles, they kept up appearances, projecting an image of marital bliss. But why the charade? Well, simply put, they weren’t ready to let the world in on their private turmoil. Jada candidly shared on the Today Show that they were grappling with their issues behind the scenes, a process that had been ongoing since their split.
Jada mentioned a multitude of factors that drove them apart, expressing sheer exhaustion from their efforts to mend their fractured relationship. Although they considered legal separation, they ultimately chose to soldier on, even while residing in separate homes. Will, in a candid interview with Rap Radar in 2018, revealed that they no longer considered themselves husband and wife but rather life partners, bound by an unbreakable bond and mutual support. However, their unconventional approach to marriage raised eyebrows in some circles.
Now, let’s fast forward to the 2022 Oscars, where Will’s heated confrontation with Chris Rock over a comment about Jada raised questions. Interestingly, Will and Jada weren’t even together at the time. This revelation adds context to Will’s reaction, hinting at deeper personal struggles beyond the surface. Jada’s memoir shed further light on the situation, revealing Chris’s past advances towards her when he believed she was single, advances she turned down. It’s plausible that Will’s outburst stemmed from lingering feelings about Chris’s interest in his wife.
Regardless, Chris inadvertently found himself caught in the crossfire of a complex dynamic involving a man married to a woman who initially hesitated to marry him and a woman whose enduring connection to Tupac remains a topic of speculation.
After the Oscars debacle, tons of folks hit up social media, practically begging Will to ditch Jada. They were dead certain she was dragging him down and making him miserable. But Will’s not having it. He’s made it clear that divorce is off the table. And Jada? Well, she’s not showing any signs of giving up either. They’re still putting on a united front online, but now that everyone knows what’s up with their marriage, who knows what’s gonna happen next? They’ve never really been on the same page anyway. So, are they gonna tough it out while we all watch the red flags slap ’em in the face? Or are they finally gonna call it quits and spare themselves the drama? Seriously, this whole thing is a hot mess.