Sheree Zampino and Jada Pinkett Smith have forged a tight and supportive bond during the course of the latter actress’ 27-year marriage to her ex-husband, Will Smith.
The two women had a rather contentious relationship during the early years of Smith’s marriage to the “Matrix” star. Smith previously admitted that he and his oldest child “struggled for years” after his divorce from Zampino, leaving Trey feeling “betrayed & abandoned.”
Throughout the years, they all managed to hash out their differences and co-parent successfully. Their now blended union has allowed them to vacation as a family and for Zampino, on occasion, to tag along on Smith’s various trips even when his wife is not in tow.
But the olive branch that made the aforementioned possible was a bit unthinkable when the Hollywood duo first became an item in 1995.
Zampino, creator and founder of Whoop Ash body butter, recently divulged that though she did not have a role in vetting her ex’s love interests, she did not initially see Pinkett Smith as an ideal partner who would also have influence over their son. At the time the two actors began dating, Trey was 3 years old.
Zampino told the hosts of “Hardly Initiated” last week that she managed to not harbor any ill feelings about either her or Smith moving on after their marriage fell apart nearly three decades ago. The couple tied the knot in 1992 but were divorced by 1995. The latter year is also the same 12-month span that the “Pursuit of Happiness” star began dating Pinkett Smith.
“It’s funny ‘cause when I look at it, it was really like a few months after ‘cause it took about six months once you file for it to be final. But it felt like when I filed, it felt like it was over for me… So, it didn’t feel like it was too soon,” said Zampino about the Oscar winner quickly finding a new partner.
But what did strike a nerve with her was another woman being in the place of a caretaker for her only child.
“Just the idea of another woman around my son — you know, that was a tough one,” she admitted. “I never felt like my position was threatened, like as his mom. I’m his mom. Nobody can take my place in that area. I’m his mother; that’s who I am. But is she gon’ be good to my kid? You know what I mean. You gonna have somebody — they gonna treat him the way he deserves to be treated. That’s what I was concerned about.”
My husband, Will Smith, and his ex-wife sometimes take trips when i’m not there — Actress Jada Pinkett Smith 🎥: @redtabletalk
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) October 21, 2022
https://t.co/4SblrmeXcC
The former “Hollywood Exes” cast member further revealed that when Smith gave her a heads-up about who he was dating and his plans to introduce Trey to the “Girls Trip” actress, she wasn’t fully aboard. “I told him I didn’t think — I don’t know if I’ve ever said this before. But I sure told him, I don’t think that’s a good choice. I did,” said Zampino.
When asked what fueled her assessment of Pinkett Smith, she explained, “I think it was, at the time, just being in friendship circles and whatnot. I just judged, I judged her. I judged her harshly, and I didn’t feel that she was worthy — that’s her book — of my son.”
Moreover, she noted that despite her apprehension, she still did not overstep by inserting herself into her ex’s relationship, adding, “If I was that concerned, I should have stayed. … I left. I don’t get to dictate who he dates and who he chooses. I don’t get to dictate that or even the timing of it. I left. I don’t get to do that.”
The “Worthy” author has previously admitted that in hindsight she should have given the former couple a year to work through their issues post-divorce before inserting herself into their dynamic. She and Smith wed in 1997 while she was pregnant with their first child, Jaden. They welcomed daughter Willow in 2000.
Last year, Pinkett Smith shocked many when she revealed that she and Smith had been living separate lives for seven years. Despite claiming that they have since reunited, fans are still under the impression that the couple is pulling the wool over the public’s eyes.
