For the past few months, Jada Pinkett Smith’s past with late rapper Tupac Shakur has been a hot topic online. Many social media users have described the “Dear Mama” lyricist as the actress’ one true love due to the recent revelations that he was her “soulmate,” which she made during the press run for her new memoir “Worthy.”
While conversation surrounding their alleged romantic relationship seemed to be dying down, it recently reached new heights after a resurfaced photo of Pinkett Smith and her ex-boyfriend drew comparisons to Shakur.
On Wednesday, Nov. 8, throwback images of the “Set It Off” star and actor Wesley Snipes at the 21st Annual AFL Lifetime Achievement Awards from 1993 hit the internet via X. The pair briefly dated during the early 1990s – which appeared to be a shock to many.
In the pictures, Pinkett Smith, 52, can be seen wearing a gorgeous red gown while criss-crossed spaghetti straps rested on her shoulders. She accessorized her outfit with gold dangly earrings and one gold bracelet. Snipes, 61, matched his then-girlfriend, rocking a black suit jacket with a red and gold necktie. He made a bold choice by sporting a black bandana around his head.
After photos of them made waves online, fans pointed out Snipes’ random headpiece, suggesting that Pinkett Smith encouraged him to wear it because of her connection to the “Dear Mama” rapper.
Shakur was shot and killed during a 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Throughout the New York rapper’s short-lived success, he was known for his distinguished sound, fashionable taste, and collection of bandanas consisting of many colors and various patterns.
The only difference is: Snipes tied his bandana on the back of his head, while Pac was known to wear his tied in the front as a headband or covering his whole head,
One fan tweeted, “She was bringing up Pac name so much he had to throw a bandana on wit the suit,” while another person’s post read, “She told him to wear the bandana because… nvmd.”
There were also some commenters who brought up Snipes’ violent past, accusing him of being the anonymous “abusive” ex Pinkett Smith dished about in her memoir. One handler wrote, “If you read her memoir, I think this is the unnamed man she was with before Will who ended up being abusive.”
While it is unclear if Pinkett Smith fell victim to Snipes’ abuse, other users noted his alleged scuffle with his ex-girlfriend, actress Halle Berry.
Some of those comments include, “It was Wesley Snipes! He has a horrible reputation in Hollywood for his mistreatment of women! Just ask Halle,” and “I heard he ruined Halle Berry’s hearing because of his abuse.”
Hearsay about Berry being beaten by Snipes arose after her tell-all interview with People Magazine back in 1996. During the conversation, the Academy Award-winning actress confessed to being in tumultuous relationships with manipulative men.
Berry then told the outlet about a traumatic incident she had with an ex-boyfriend who was well-known in Hollywood. As she recounted the event, Berry noted that the former lover, whose name remained anonymous, hit her so hard it left her 80% deaf in her left eardrum.
“I left so fast there were skid marks,” she said. “It never happened to me before, or since.”
Years later, one of Berry’s ex-boyfriends, R&B singer Christopher Williams, came out and identified Snipes as the culprit of violence while talking to the media site Eurwed.
“The stuff they wrote about [me] and Halle was totally false,” he explained. “They said something like I busted her eardrum, and I’m tired of it. I never said it, but I’m so tired of people thinking I’m the guy. Wesley Snipe busted her eardrum, not me.”
Berry and Snipes met on the set of the 1991 film “Jungle Fever.” While fingers pointed at him for being her abuser, neither one of them has publicly confirmed the accusations.
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