Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals Marriage Separation Details

Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith privately entered a new chapter of their relationship.

In new interviews released on Oct. 11, the Red Table Talk alum—who tied the knot with the Fresh Prince star in 1997—revealed that they've been separated for seven years. That includes the six years leading up to the 2022 Oscars, during which Will slapped comedian Chris Rock for making a joke about Jada's shaved head. 

"We're still figuring it out," Jada told People of her and Will's relationship status in an interview published Oct. 11. "We've been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us."

And in an interview with Today released the same day, she further detailed what led to he separation, explaining, "Why it fractured, that's a lot of things. I think by the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be."

Since saying "I do" in the late ‘90s, Will and Jada—who share kids Jaden Smith, 25, and Willow Smith, 22—have faced a series of ups and downs, including Jada's past relationship with August Alsina, which she described in 2020 as an "entanglement."

photosWill Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Wildest Quotes About Each Other

And the pair experienced no brighter a spotlight than after the incident at the 2022 Oscars, which the 52-year-old told People she thought to be a scripted moment at first, sharing, "It wasn't until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn't a skit."

As for how Will—who is also dad to son Trey from his first marriage—is doing today, Jada suggested this is a journey he needs to embark on primarily alone. "I'm going to be by his side," she added, "but also allow him to have to figure this out for himself."

Lionel Hahn / Getty Images

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And indeed, even after over 25 years by the other's side, Jada can still perfectly recall meeting her future husband. 

"Will called me up one day and said, 'Hit me when you get to L.A.' and then … click. And I was like, 'Whoa. Okay,'" Jada told People. "And so when I got to L.A., I called him. I haven't been able to get rid of him since." 

To relive the couple's relationship from the very beginning, keep reading.