Many are spinning the block on how they view Jada Pinkett Smith after the “Set It Off” actress started last week to reveal some secret aspects of her marriage to Oscar winner Will Smith.
After sharing with the world that the two, while still legally married, have been separated since 2016, a resurfaced clip has emerged with “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star seeming to have set the tone of their marriage — as far back as 2007.
In an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” Smith once said, “It’s my responsibility to make me happy and its her responsibility to make her happy and then we’re gonna come together and build on that happiness.”
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In his 2021 memoir, “Will,” the “Bad Boys” star also mentioned his desire to fulfill his fantasies, such as having multiple girlfriends, including actress Halle Berry and ballet dancer Misty Copeland.
“Anything that I need to make myself happy, I will present that to my wife… that I need that to be happy,” the West Philadelphia native said. “Divorce is not an option. We’re going to be together, so we’re going to figure out how to be happy.”
Another glimpse into why the rapper-turned-actor’s marriage changed was because of how controlling he was as a husband and parent.
Smith and the “Matrix” star began dating after he finalized his divorce from his first wife, Sheree Zampino, the mother of his older son, Trey.
During an October 2018 appearance on “Red Table Talk” to discuss their marriage, Smith shared the story of how he called the show creator after signing the divorce papers.
He said he called Jada on the phone and asked, “‘Are you seeing anybody?’ and she said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Cool, you’re seeing me now.’”
In the interview and his book, Smith talked about his and Jada’s two kids, Jaden and Willow Smith. He explained that he wanted everything and everyone in the family to be perfect, causing Willow to leave her music career, Jaden to shut down on sets and Jada to cry for over 45 days straight.
“I had a public perception that I wanted to project of our relationship, of the family, and what my kids are, what my wife is and what we are in the world,” Will said in painful reflection. “If there were an individual most poisonous aspect of our relationship in the past, is I felt that money and winning made a good relationship.”
His book also touches on how they both had relationships outside of their union, leaving it unclear if Jada’s “entanglement” with August Alsina was a clear violation of their particular marital arrangement.
Being that he has spoken so candidly about their marriage in the past, fans on social media are questioning why many are so critical of Jada now speaking her truths.
One person wrote on social media, “People who crucify Jada for speaking publicly when Will has BEEN talking about their relationship publicly are definitely on BS. Stop trying to paint Will to be a wounded lamb & Jada a wolf. They clearly have an agreement in their marriage.”
People who crucify Jada for speaking publicly when Will has BEEN talking about their relationship publicly are definitely on BS. Stop trying to paint Will to be a wounded lamb & Jada a wolf. They clearly have an agreement in their marriage pic.twitter.com/i3PLn4oGMZ
— DRU (@RatedDru) October 14, 2023
Another said, “For years WILL was seen with a white blonde, but soon as august Alsina made claims about JADA, y’all were bashing her, claiming she ain’t ish.”
Others commented on The Neighborhood Talk’s post in agreement, countering the “Jezebel” label she has been tagged with.
“Agreed! It’s unsettling how comfortable the public is with piling on Jada. Even when the slap happened, they blamed her as if she made him stand up and go do that. People love a Jezebel trope though,” one person wrote. “Especially when it comes to black women. They masculinize her and turn him into the poor damsel in distress when he himself has said numerous times over the years, even in his book, that he’s cheated on her a lot. SMH.”
Yet, a handful believe there’s a difference in the way the “King Richard” star shares details about their marriage when compared to Jada, while others suggest he had “controlling” ways.
“Ummm.. but Will has not intentionally been out here embarrassing Jada. He is speaking on things they both previously agreed upon. Jada is out here spilling TEA.. acting like she don’t know wtf was up .. it’s a big difference.”
“Okay so…all this Jada stuff is making me believe that Will Smith either has a humiliation kink, or he’s incredibly controlling.”
Okay so…all this Jada stuff is making me believe that Will Smith either has a humiliation kink, or he’s incredibly controlling.
— Jah. (@Jeesa_Jay) October 13, 2023
“In all honesty defending either will Smith or Jada was always wrong bc they’re scientologists and will smith was so controlling that the n—a kid wanted to get emancipated lmao.”
And while the blogs and social media continue to talk, Smith appears unbothered, according to a new video of him on a boat trying to catch some zzz’s while his phone notifications keep going off.
“Notifications off,” he wrote in the caption of the Instagram clip.
Jada has been talking about her relationship publicly as she promotes her recently released book, “Worthy.” In addition to sharing that she and Will separated, she also claimed Chris Rock previously attempted to ask her out on a date, which later fueled her husband’s anger when he slapped Rock across the face at the Academy Awards last year.
Not surprisingly, the mother of two also called for later childhood friend Tupac Shakur her “soulmate” and not her legal husband of 26 years.
She said despite never being in a romantic relationship, Shakur asked her to marry him while he was in prison. However, she refused him due to the nature of their relationship, adding that marriage was never in the plans for the two.
A profile about Jada in the New York Times seemingly confirms their split after revealing she moved out of their family home in Calabasas and bought another nearby for her 50th birthday. That same year in 2021, she had a lavish roller skating-themed party attended by all of their celebrity friends, including Toni Braxton, MC Lyte, Lauren London, Jordyn Woods and others.
