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Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been one of Hollywood's most prominent couples for over two decades. They first met in the early 1990s and tied the knot in 1997. Their marriage has been the subject of much fascination and speculation, with the couple openly addressing challenges and rumours of infidelity. Jada even revealed that she never wanted to marry, but their union has produced two children, Jaden and Willow, and they have continued to work on their relationship despite a separation in 2016.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 31st December 1997 |
| Location | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Children | Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, and Trey Smith (Will's son from his first marriage) |
| Separation | Separated for 6/7 years, beginning in 2016 |
| Current Living Situation | Living in separate homes |
| Divorce | Considered but not filed |
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What You'll Learn
Will and Jada's wedding day
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's wedding day was a quiet ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland, on New Year's Eve in 1997. The couple got married while Jada was pregnant with their son, Jaden, although she had initially been reluctant to make their relationship "official" on paper.
Jada told People in a 2019 cover story:
> "I never wanted to get married. But my mother was like, 'You have to get married'—she's so old-school—and Will wanted a family. So I said, 'Alright, maybe it’s something I should do.'"
The couple first met in 1994 on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, when Jada auditioned for the role of Will's onscreen girlfriend, Lisa Wilkes. They went public with their relationship in 1995, and after getting married, they welcomed their son Jaden in July 1998 and their daughter Willow in October 2000. Will also has a son, Trey, from his first marriage, whom Jada affectionately refers to as her "bonus son."
Will and Jada have been incredibly candid about the various highs and lows in their relationship. In 2022, Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars stage after the comedian made a joke about Jada's shaved head. Jada, who lives with alopecia, initially thought the incident was a skit. In 2023, Jada revealed that she and Will had been separated for six years before the Oscars incident, and she disclosed that they had been living ""completely separate lives" since 2016. Despite this, the couple has chosen to remain married, with Jada stating, "We love our family, and we love each other. You know, it's more of a life partnership."
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The couple's relationship timeline
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been together for over two decades. They first met in 1994 on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, when Jada auditioned for the role of his onscreen girlfriend. Will told People in 1996 that his connection with Jada came as “a huge surprise”.
The couple went public with their relationship in 1995, with one of their first appearances being the Devil in a Blue Dress premiere in September. They tied the knot in December 1997 in Baltimore, Maryland, while Jada was pregnant with their son, Jaden, born in July 1998. The couple also share a daughter, Willow, born in October 2000. Will also has a son named Trey Smith with ex-wife Sheree Zampino, whom Jada has affectionately referred to as her “bonus son”.
In 2019, Jada told People that she initially didn't want to get married: "I never wanted to get married. But my mother was like, ‘You have to get married’—she’s so old-school—and Will wanted a family. So I said, ‘Alright, maybe it’s something I should do.’”
In 2022, Will and Jada faced intense scrutiny after Will slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars. In October 2023, Jada revealed in an interview with People that she and Will had been separated for six years before the Oscars incident. In 2023, while promoting her memoir Worthy, Jada disclosed that she and Will had been living "completely separate lives" since 2016 but hadn't officially divorced. She told Hoda Kotb: "We love our family, and we love each other. You know, it's more of a life partnership. Now, ten years from now, who knows?"
In a preview of her November 2023 appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show, Jada confirmed that she and Will were "staying together forever". She admitted that she had considered filing for divorce but ultimately decided against it, saying: "I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through whatever, and I just haven't been able to break that promise."
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Rumours of infidelity
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been one of Hollywood's most beloved couples for decades. They got married in 1997 while Jada was pregnant with their son, Jaden. The couple also has a daughter, Willow, and Jada affectionately refers to Will's son, Trey, from his first marriage as her "bonus son".
However, their marriage has been the subject of much gossip and speculation over the years, with rumours of infidelity and an open relationship. In 2020, Jada revealed that she had an "entanglement" with singer August Alsina while she and Will were separated. Will also admitted to seeking affection outside of their marriage, which evolved into a non-monogamous arrangement.
Despite these revelations, both Will and Jada have denied that there has ever been infidelity in their marriage. In an interview with Gayle King on CBS Sunday Morning, Will stated, "There's never been infidelity in our marriage. Never. Jada and I talk about everything, and we have never surprised one another with anything ever." Jada also denied that Will gave permission to August, saying, "The only person that can give permission in that circumstance is myself."
The couple has also addressed rumours of an open relationship, with Will confirming that Jada "never believed in a conventional marriage". In an interview with PEOPLE, Jada revealed that they had been separated for six years before the Oscars in 2022, where Will slapped Chris Rock on stage after he made a joke about Jada's shaved head. Despite their challenges, the couple has worked through their issues and continues to showcase their enduring love and commitment to one another.
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The Oscars slap
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been together for over two decades. They got married in 1997 and have two children together. They first met in 1994 on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The couple has been incredibly candid about the various highs and lows in their relationship. They have also had to shut down several rumours about their marriage over the years.
In 2022, at the Oscars, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after the latter made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. Jada lives with alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease that can cause hair loss. Rock compared her shaved head to Demi Moore's dramatic look in the 1997 film G.I. Jane. Smith walked across the stage, slapped Rock on the left cheek, and then returned to his seat. This incident became known as "the slap heard around the world", with media outlets and internet users referring to it as "Slapgate" and "The Slappening".
In the aftermath of the incident, Smith issued an apology and was banned from attending the Oscars or any other Academy event for 10 years.
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Their unusual marriage arrangement
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been together for over two decades. They got married in 1997 and share two children together, Jaden Smith and Willow Smith. Will also has a son named Trey Smith with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino, whom Jada has affectionately referred to as her "bonus son".
Despite their long-standing marriage, the couple has faced tons of speculation and rumours about their relationship. In 2022, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars after the comedian made a joke about Jada's shaved head. Jada lives with alopecia. Following the incident, Jada broke her silence on her marriage, the Oscar slap, and her path to self-acceptance. She revealed that she and Will had been separated for six years before the Oscars in 2022.
In 2023, Jada disclosed that she and Will had seemingly divorced, although they never officially severed ties and did not file any paperwork. She told Hoda Kotb in an interview that they had been living "completely separate lives" since 2016. Despite this, Jada insisted that they were still together and that their unusual arrangement was more of a "life partnership". She also stated that they would likely live in the same house again in the future, as Will is "getting old" and she will be there to take care of him.
Jada has addressed the speculation about their marriage, stating that they have a "grown" relationship based on trust and freedom. She has denied rumours of an open relationship and infidelity, emphasizing that they are simply navigating their marriage in a way that works for them.
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Frequently asked questions
Will and Jada Smith got married in 1997.
Yes, they have two children together, Jaden Smith and Willow Smith. Will also has a son, Trey Smith, from his first marriage.
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after the comedian made a joke about Jada's shaved head. Jada has alopecia.
Yes, despite separating in 2016 and living in separate homes, the couple are reportedly still together.
In her memoir, Worthy, Jada described her and Will's separation as a "divorce", but clarified that they never officially divorced. She also revealed that she considered getting a legal divorce but couldn't bring herself to do it.
