In his newly released autobiography book “Will,” Will Smith is laying it all out for the fans that want to get to know the more intimate details about his life.
In a recent episode of Apple TV’s “The Oprah Conversation,” Smith sat down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss some of the things he talked about in his book. He opened up about a recollection he had regarding his 21-year-old daughter, Willow Smith, innocently talking about Smith’s image of his family. She was just 10 years old and as Will recounted, ‘She told Jada, ‘Daddy has a picture of a family in his mind, and it’s not us.’ “
He added, “I’ll never forget. She was eating Häagen-Dazs dulce de leche; she was pulling my beard. It’s a double-edged sword: I had a vision for my family, but at the time I wasn’t delicate enough to realize when people’s visions for themselves were different.”
The “I Am Legend” star has been married twice. He married Sheree Zampino in 1992 and the two welcomed a son, Trey Smith. Their union ended in 1995 and Smith remarried in 1997 to actress Jada Pinkett Smith. Together, they welcomed two children, his son Jaden Smith and Willow.
While he and Zampino have a friendly relationship now, Smith has said previously that when they were together, there was a point where he knew that he was married to the wrong woman. Eventually, Zampino felt it was time to file for divorce.
Smith told Oprah, “Sheree filed for a divorce, rightfully. She called herself my placeholder wife. She said that she just had to be there to hold the position of wife in Will Smith’s perfect life. She was like, ‘Can you see me?’ I didn’t get that at the time, but it’s so obvious and so clear to me.”
The Smiths’ marriage has been put on the spot in the last few years with rumors and some confirmation of infidelity, open marriage and general marital struggles. Their struggles have even affected their children. Will sat down with his daughter, mother-in-law Adrienne Banfield-Jones, and wife, and talked about a moment Willow yelled at him after witnessing an argument between her parents.
The 53-year-old said, “I snapped in front of Willow. It was the only time in her childhood she ever saw me snap. And I saw her look and Willow starts crying. And I was like, ‘Baby, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’ Re-enacting her shouting, he continues, “She’s like, ‘Just figure it out! You guys please just figure it out! Just figure it out.’ “
“The Oprah Conversation” with Will Smith premiered on Apple TV+ on Nov. 5.
