At 52 years old, the host of “Red Table Talk” and her husband, Will Smith, tied the knot back in 1997. The story of how Will and Jada Pinkett Smith first crossed paths goes back to 1994. Jada auditioned to play Will’s girlfriend on “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.” Unfortunately, she didn’t get the part because, according to People magazine, she was considered “too short.“
At that time, Will was married to Sheree Zampino. Despite this, he began to develop feelings for Jada, who would later become a star in “The Matrix.” Taking a bold step, Will called Jada to find out if she was involved with someone else. When she confirmed she was not, Will declared: “Cool, you’re seeing me now.”
Jada Pinkett Smith: Marriage and Family
The couple wed in 1997 and have since welcomed two children into their family: Jaden, who was born in 1998, and Willow, born in 2000. Their marriage has often been in the spotlight and drawn a lot of attention from the media. However, the criticism they’ve faced over the years seems minor compared to the shockwaves sent through the public when Pinkett Smith revealed a big secret. She revealed that she cheated on her Oscar-winning husband with someone totally surprising.
Read More: Will Smith’s Daughter Willow Smith Talks About Being Polyamorous
The Infamous Oscars Incident
The Smith family has certainly had their share of media attention. Especially after the incident at the 2022 Oscars when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the live broadcast. Chris Rock was hosting the awards ceremony and made a joke targeting Pinkett Smith. He referenced her public struggle with alopecia, a condition where the immune system attacks the hair follicles, leading to hair loss. Several factors can trigger alopecia, including genetics, stress, hormonal shifts, and medical issues, notes the Mayo Clinic.
Although Pinkett Smith hasn’t pinpointed the exact cause of her alopecia, she suspects stress might be the culprit. During his time on stage, Rock quipped: “Jada, can’t wait for G.I. Jane 2.” This comment led Smith to walk up to the stage and slap the comedian. After the incident, when he returned to his seat, Smith shouted: “Keep my wife’s name out of your ****** mouth.”
Read More: Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals What Chris Rock Said To Her After Will Smith Slap
Ironically, the evening concluded with Smith receiving the Best Actor award for his performance in “King Richard.”
Yet, this significant achievement was overshadowed by the slap incident, which became the main talking point of the night. Following this, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences barred Smith for 10 years. The organization declared that the awards had been “overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage.”
The 2020 Revelation on “Red Table Talk”
Still, some argue that the couple had faced an even more contentious scandal a few years earlier. From 2018 to 2022, Jada Pinkett Smith was at the helm of a Facebook talk show called “Red Table Talk.” She hosted it alongside her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, and her daughter, Willow. The trio would dive into a variety of topics and chat with various guests. Will Smith often appears on the show. However, it was an episode from 2020 that caught the world’s attention.
During this particular broadcast, the couple engaged in a deeply personal discussion
This is where Pinkett Smith confessed that she had an affair. The affair became public after a friend of their son Jaden, the R&B singer August Alsina, claimed in an interview that he had a romantic relationship with Pinkett Smith. He said he had “given years of his life” to her and even suggested that Smith had approved of their relationship. In her explanation, Pinkett Smith said: “It all started with him just needing some help, me wanting to help his health, his mental state. The outpouring for him from our family was initially about his health. We found all those different resources to help pull him through and from there you and I were going through a very difficult time.”
She disclosed that at the time of her involvement with Alsina, she and her husband were essentially separated and had been for a “period of time.” During their conversation, Smith asked his wife to clarify what had happened. Pinkett Smith referred to her relationship with Alsina as an “entanglement.”
Setting the Record Straight
In this discussion, they both took the chance to address Alsina’s claim that he had Will’s permission to be with Jada. This allowed them to set the record straight. She explained: “One of the things I want to clear up that was kind of swirling in the press was you giving permission. The only person who can give permission in that particular circumstance is myself.”
“But what August was actually trying to communicate – because I could actually see how he would perceive it as permission because we were separated amicably – I think he also wanted to make it clear that he’s not a homewrecker, which he’s not.” The actress went on to share that she ended the affair. And it wasn’t long before she and Smith found their way back to each other. She shared a candid insight: “I would definitely say that we tried everything we could to get away from each other. Only to realize that that wasn’t possible.”
The Latest Revelation
However, last year, in a revealing interview, Pinkett Smith dropped a major bombshell. She announced that she and Smith had actually been separated and living “completely different” lives since 2016. This revelation caused quite a bit of confusion among their fans and the public. So, when Pinkett Smith was asked for absolute clarity about her relationship with her husband in an interview shortly after her announcement, she explained that they were “working very hard to bring [their] relationship back together… back to a life partnership.”