Jada Pinkett, who disclosed this during a preview clip of an upcoming primetime special program with Hoda Kotb on NBC News, clarified that although they have been living apart for several years, they are not officially divorced.
According to her, they chose to keep their separation private initially because they were still navigating the complexities of their relationship and figuring out how to present it to the public
She said: “We were still trying to figure out between the two of us, how to be in partnership, How do we present that to people? We hadn’t figured that out.”
Regarding the reasons for the marriage’s strain, Jada Pinkett said that by 2016, they were worn out from trying to meet the expectations they had set for themselves.
Despite the challenges in their marriage, Pinkett Smith mentioned a vow they made to each other never to get divorced, making the formal separation complex.
“I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce,” she continued. “We will work through whatever. And I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”
‘But you still live separately?’ Hoda probed, prompting Jada to confirm ‘We live separately’.
“Why it fractured, that’s a lot of things,” the actress stated, “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.
“I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce, We will work through whatever, and I just haven’t been able to break that promise,” she said.
Referencing Jada’s book, Hoda Kotb said that the actress described the separation as being like a ‘divorce’, despite the pair not filing any paperwork, saying that she wrote, “It was not a divorce on paper. But it was a divorce.”
As for the future of their marriage, Pinkett emphasized that they are still in the process of figuring things out and have been engaged in substantial efforts to work through their issues.
Acknowledging their unique situation, she stated, “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.
“On paper, it all looked grand. I had the beautiful family, the superstar husband, the lavish lifestyle, fame and fortune,” Hoda Kotb quotes her new book.
Speaking about their two children, Pinkett Smith commended them for contributing to her personal growth, describing them as “little gurus” who taught her a deep sense of self-acceptance.
The actress also addressed the public scrutiny of her marriage, notably mentioning the 2020 revelation about a past “entanglement” with singer August Alsina while still married to Will Smith.
Jada Pinkett further admitted that they were already separated during the well-publicized incident at the 2022 Academy Awards when Will Smith slapped his long-time friend and comedian, Chris Rock after a joke about Pinkett Smith’s appearance.
For his action in her defense, Will Smith was banned from Oscars events for 10 years, he then resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
KanyiDaily recalls that Will Smith had tendered an unreserved apology to Chris Rock after he slapped him for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
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