Will Smith and Jada Pinkett’s marriage has gone through a lot and it looks like they deserve each other as Will isn’t getting the balls to end things with Jada in spite of her cheating behavior and her obsession with younger men.
SCMP delves into Will Smith and Jada Pinkett’s open and complicated marriage following the Oscars mess Jada got Will into.
Many speculate that it came down to the nature of his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith. The two first met in 1994 when Jada was auditioning for a role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Although she didn’t get the part, she apparently made an impression on Will, who was married to Sheree Zampino at the time. After his split from the RHOBH star, Will and Jada began dating and got married in 1997.
Over 28 years since they first laid eyes on each other, Will, 53, and Jada, 50, have two kids together who also enjoy the showbiz spotlight: Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, as well as Will’s first son Trey from his marriage to Zampino.
So what do we know about their high-profile, high-octane relationship?
Will proposed to Jada when she was pregnant with Jaden in her late 20s and she said yes. But according to multiple sources, Jada didn’t actually want to get married and even cried at her “horrible” wedding in Maryland. She claims that it was her mother who “forced” her to walk down the aisle.
Even before their open marriage, rumours began circulating that Jada was hooking up with her Hawthorne co-star Marc Anthony – who was married to Jennifer Lopez at the time. Although all the claims were denied, there was later speculation of an affair between Will and Margot Robbie during the filming of Focus. This was also dismissed as the stars insisted their relationship was completely platonic.
One of their most well-known quarrels came after Will’s surprise gift for his wife’s 40th birthday. He spent three years planning a heartfelt documentary about her life and lineage, preparing the commissioned piece for her special day. Her response? She was widely quoted as calling it “the most disgusting display of ego I have ever seen in my life”. Not too surprisingly, they had an argument over it and later faced divorce rumours, which they denied.
In an interview with GQ in late 2021, Will opened up about his non-monogamous marriage to Jada. The I Am Legend actor confirmed that both he and his wife have engaged in sexual relationships with other people. Although he didn’t go into detail about the who and what, Will was unreserved about discussing the state of his relationship with Jada, which included their mindset towards traditional marriage.
In 2017, there were rumours that the couple was into “swinging” too, which Jada addressed on Watch What Happens Next. “That’s the craziest one. And I’m like, yo, I wish. I wish,” she said.
Jada has caused nothing but grief for Smith who has tried to be a good husband for over 20 years.
Flip to the next page for all the times Jada has cheated on Will.