What do you think of this as being struck in the face? Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been privately separated since 2016. The revelation of their now-seven-year separation surprised the public, who had seen the couple booed on red carpets, overshare private information about their love, and stick up for one another when a petty comic made a foolish joke and received a smack for it. However, the power couple couldn’t hide a few signs of marital conflict. Jada Pinkett Smith returned to the Red Table in 2020, revealing that she’d been having an affair with R&B artist August Alsina while “temporarily” split from her husband.
Although Will and Jada agreed to lay the deck on the surface a few years ago, hindsight reveals that many questions were left unaddressed. Why did the two of them split up and keep it hidden? Why did he decide to tell everyone? Were both of them in a committed relationship prior to their divorce? What is an entanglement, exactly? As a result, we set out to chart the whole history of Will and Jada’s connection, from meetings on the set of the film The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to eating across from them at the Red Table to Jada’s most recent act of oversharing.
1997: A whirlwind romance
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith originally met in 1990 on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Pinkett Smith was auditioning for the role of Will’s girlfriend at the time, but Smith was already married.
They stayed friends for several years before reconnecting in 1997, following Smith’s divorce. They started dating and fell in love instantly. They married in a secret ceremony in Maryland just a few months later.
1998-2006: A picture-perfect Hollywood couple
Will and Jada appeared to have it all in the early years of their marriage. They were both successful actresses with lovely homes and three kids. They were extremely open about their feelings for each other, frequently appearing on red carpets and discussing their relationship in interviews.
2007: Cracks in the foundation
Rumors began to surface in 2007 that Will and Jada were having marital issues. Although the pair rejected the reports, there were indications that their relationship was not as flawless as it appeared.
Pinkett Smith stated in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that she and Smith had a “unconventional” marriage. She stated that they did not believe in traditional gender norms and were open to other types of relationships.
2013: Jada’s “entanglement” with August Alsina
Jada Pinkett Smith admitted to having a “entanglement” with musician August Alsina in 2013. She stated that the relationship occurred when she and Smith were separated.
Alsina later claimed that Will Smith, Pinkett Smith’s spouse, gave him permission to have the connection. Smith, on the other hand, refuted this accusation.
2015-2023: Working things out
Will and Jada have sought to mend their relationship in the years following the “entanglement” debacle. In interviews and on their show, Red Table Talk, they have been candid about their difficulties.
Smith recently told GQ that he and Pinkett Smith have a “grown-ish” relationship. He added that they’ve learnt to accept each other for who they are and to talk frankly about their needs.
