Jada Pinkett Smith recently revealed that she and Will Smith were secretly separated for six years. During this time, however, they appeared on the red carpet frequently and appeared extremely in love. GALA looks back.
Jada Pinkett Smith, 52, and Will Smith, 55, were separated for six years starting in 2016 – they would have found each other again shortly before the Oscar scandal in 2022. The actress recently revealed this in several interviews. Despite the reconciliation, their marriage is not yet completely solid again. Although Jada went public about her affair with August Alsina, 31, on her Facebook show “Red Table Talk” in 2020, she still emphasized that she loves Will “unconditionally.” The Hollywood stars always appeared as a unit and kept their romance secret. This meant they had to put on a convincing show again and again on the red carpet – and they succeeded.
Jada Pinkett Smith announces six-year separation from Will
Jada Pinkett Smith made the separation public in an interview with Hoda Kotb, 59, on the “Today” show on October 11, 2023. The presenter asked the mother of two about an incident in her marriage in 2016. “Since 2016, which has been seven years now, you’ve been…” Hoda asked while holding her hands up to signal distance. “Yes,” Jada replied as she pulled her hands apart and snapped. In an interview with People, the actress added about the current state of her marriage: “We’ve worked really hard on ourselves. We just have a deep love for each other and we’re going to figure out what that looks like for us.”
Despite their separation, Will Smith and Jada have always remained in love
The “I am Legend” actor and his wife obviously wanted to maintain the facade of a happy couple. It even seems as if they always wanted to convince the public of their love. Because during the six years in question, they presented themselves as a unit when performing.
Kisses at the “Aladdin” premiere
In 2018, Will Smith revealed on “Red Table Talk” that he and Jada had separated, but was quick to emphasize that they had quickly reconciled. “We separated within our marriage and got back together. We had to pull ourselves back together with new rules,” he said. A year later, the “Gotham” actress assured “People” that their bond was stronger than ever.
© JIM RUYMEN / Picture Alliance
They proved this a little later on the red carpet – even though we now know that the two were not a couple at the time. In May 2019 they attended the premiere of the live-action adaptation of “Aladdin” in Los Angeles, in which Will Smith plays Genie. The father of three hugs his wife from behind and leans down to give her a kiss on the cheek. Jada beams.
They imitate their previous appearance
The Hollywood stars also exchanged affection on the red carpet in October 2019. This time they have the premiere of the science fiction thriller “Gemini Man”, in which the now 55-year-old plays a double role.
© Kathy Hutchins / Picture Alliance
In front of the Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, the “Prince of Bel-Air” gave his partner another gentle kiss on the cheek while they posed for the photographers.
At the family performance, only Will and Jada are in a good mood
In 2021, Will Smith spoke about his marriage again and, after Jada’s previous affair confession on “Good Morning America,” emphasized: “We strive for the kind of love everyone dreams of. We just know that the path doesn’t look like what everyone thinks it should look like.” That same year, the couple made a family appearance with their children. The occasion? The premiere of the biopic “King Richard”, in which Smith plays Father of Venus, 43, and Serena Williams, 42, portrayed.
© Image Press Agency / Picture Alliance
Also on this red carpet, Will resorts to his tried and tested gesture and pulls Jada close to him to give her a kiss – this time on the forehead. Further shots show the two putting on a broad grin and repeatedly exchanging amorous looks.
© Image Press Agency / Picture Alliance
However, their kids Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22, are completely different: they both put on dark faces and look rather disinterestedly into the cameras. Did they not feel like taking part in the charade? Possible. However, in her recent People interview, Pinkett Smith emphasized that her children have always supported her: “My children, they are little gurus. They have taught me a deep sense of self-acceptance. They love every part of me. The love they have for me and their father is so great and unconditional.” And yet the contrasting appearance of the parents and children in these pictures from 2021 seems to speak volumes.
Sources used: “Today”, people.com, “Good Morning America”, facebook.com, picture-alliance.com