Just days after his wife revealed they’ve been living separate lives for seven years, Will Smith reacted to Jada Pinkett Smith’s separation confession from her memoir, Worthy—and his comments may surprise you.
The pair, who met on the set of Smith’s popular TV Show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, got married in 1997. Over the course of their relationship, Will and Jada became parents to Jaden, 25, Willow, 22, along with Trey, 30, who Will welcomed during his previous marriage to ex-wife Sheree Zampino.
While the pair remain legally married, Jada made a shocking admission to Today’s Hoda Kotb during a preview of an hour-long primetime interview in October 2023, in which she revealed that she and Will have been living “completely separate lives” since 2016.
When Kotb asked Jada what caused their marriage to fall apart, Jada explained that it came down to “a lot of things.” She revealed, “By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both kind of just still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.”
She explained why she hasn’t filed for divorce from Will, despite no longer sharing a romantic relationship. “I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through … whatever,” Jada said. “I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”
Following her confession, many have been wondering about Will Smith’s reaction to Jada Pinkett Smith’s separation claims. Keep on reading below to find out what the Men in Black star had to say about his estranged wife.
How did Will Smith respond to Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir?
In an email to The New York Times, Will Smith shared that Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir served as a wake up call for him.
“When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life,” he wrote, “a sort of emotional blindness sets in, and you can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties.”
Will also shared his thoughts on Jada’s memoir in a letter penned for Jay Shetty’s podcast, “On Purpose,” where Jada recently appeared to discuss her forthcoming book. A clip from her episode, which drops in full on Oct. 16, was shared by the Associated Press on YouTube.
During Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance, Jay Shetty offered to read her estranged husband’s letter out loud for her.
“I applaud and honor you. If I had read this book 30 years ago, I definitely would’ve hugged you more,” read the letter.
“I’ll start now. Welcome to the Authors Club,” Shetty said, continuing to read the letter. “I love you endlessly. Now go get some Merlot and take a rest.”
Jada initially laughed at Will’s comments, joking, “He know I can’t have no Merlot.” But the actress went on to express her appreciation for Will’s note. “That’s beautiful,” she said. “That’s why I can’t divorce that joker.”
Worthy by Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith was living what many would view as a fairy-tale of Hollywood success. But appearances can be deceiving, and as she felt more and more separated from her sense of self, emotional turmoil took hold. Sparing no detail, Worthy chronicles her life—from a rebellious youth running the Baltimore streets as an observer and participant in the drug trade, to the deep bond she shared with Tupac Shakur from the moment they met, to her move to Los Angeles and the successful career she built on her own terms, to becoming the wife of superstar Will Smith and mother to Jaden, Willow and bonus-mom to Trey . A rollercoaster from the depths of suicidal depression to the heights of self-acceptance and spiritual healing, Worthy is a woman’s journey to finding herself again.
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