‘That’s a Friend Zone Hug AF’: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Share Awkward Embrace Fueling Separation Rumors Months After Photos of Actress with New Man Surface 

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith still have something in common, but social media users can’t seem to figure out exactly what that might be.

The internet is rife with discourse about the nature of the couple’s “very odd” and “dysfunctional family” now that the two celebrities have been photographed together for the first time since May.

The actress was last seen with Will publicly on the red carpet at the “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” Los Angeles premiere alongside their children, Jaden and Willow and Will’s son Trey, whom the actor shares with first wife Sheree Zampino.

The “Ali” stars resurfaced in photos taken in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas, where they had dinner with good pal and celebirty life coach Jay Shetty.

Fans say Will Smith has been friend zoned by Jada Pinkett Smith months after she shared cryptic post with mystery man. Photos: Willsmith/Instagram; Jadapinkettsmith/Instagram.

The couple of 26 years was captured in a hip-to-hip embrace as they stood outside of Crossroads Kitchen.

The affectionate moment caught by paparazzi follows recent years of backlash against Jada revealing she had an “entanglement” with singer August Alsina and that she and the box office star have been separated since 2016.

Criticism of the Smith’s non-traditional marriage grew louder in 2022 after Will slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars over a joke about his wife’s shaved head. The “Low Down Dirty Shame” actress would later confess that the controversial incident reignited a new chapter of she and Will sorting out the relationship. Still, the recent dinner outing has been met with unfavorable responses.

One person claimed, “They are fake af.” While another critic wrote that they were “an utterly unlikable couple who had two spoiled, unlikable kids.”

Elsewhere online Instagram users could not resist attempts to analyze A-lister’s chemistry. “That’s a good bye it was nice catching up hug,” said one person who did not detect a hint of romance between the actors. Someone else commented, “Thats a friend zone hug AF.”

Another asked, “@jayshetty helping them through their issues!?”

Jada and Will have both stated that divorce was never an option despite their uncoupling. After taking a massive digital pummeling from former fans, Jada took a break from social media. She returned on Sept. 1 to her now-private Instagram account with a cryptic post sharing, “My heart has been blooming…Can’t wait to share.”

Whatever the intention behind the post may have been was slightly derailed when followers noticed her carousel of photos and videos gave a glimpse at an unidentified man accompanying her on a jet ski. 

Rumors of their continued separation were fueled when opted to not post birthday tributes to each other. The actual status of their relationship remains unconfirmed, but fans have already settled on believing that their love is simply platonic.

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