Jada Pinkett Smith, widely recognized for her extensive career in acting and hosting, recently revealed details about a previously unanticipated relationship with a notable celebrity. At 52, the celebrated actress and singer has been a household name for years, thanks to her roles in films like The Nutty Professor, the Madagascar animated series, and Girls Trip. Her long-standing marriage to Hollywood icon Will Smith, with whom she shares two children, Jaden (26) and Willow (23), has frequently placed the couple under the public microscope.
Over the years, the Smiths’ marriage has been a focal point of both admiration and intense scrutiny. The duo’s relationship garnered worldwide attention after an incident at the 2022 Oscars, where Will Smith confronted comedian Chris Rock on stage. Rock’s joke about Jada’s shaved head—a sensitive subject tied to her battle with alopecia—led Will to infamously slap the comedian during the live broadcast. Although Will later won the Best Actor award that evening for King Richard, the moment was overshadowed by the dramatic altercation, sparking ongoing conversations about their personal lives.
Jada has long been vocal about her health struggles and personal challenges. Alopecia, the condition affecting her hair follicles and leading to hair loss, was central to the controversy with Rock. Following his joke likening her appearance to Demi Moore’s character in G.I. Jane, Will’s reaction and the ensuing fallout brought the couple’s marriage dynamics further into the spotlight.
However, even before the Oscars debacle, the Smiths were no strangers to controversy. One of the most talked-about incidents was Jada’s candid admission about an affair during a deeply personal episode of her Facebook talk show, Red Table Talk. The show, which she co-hosted with her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris and daughter Willow, became a platform for raw and unfiltered conversations on various topics, including Jada’s own romantic entanglements.
In a 2020 episode, Jada openly discussed her relationship with singer August Alsina, who was 31 at the time. Recounting the origins of their connection, she explained that it began as a supportive effort to help Alsina through his health and emotional challenges. She described their bond as an “entanglement” that unfolded during a particularly challenging period in her marriage to Will. While addressing rumors about Will’s alleged approval of the relationship, Jada clarified that only she could give such permission, highlighting that she and Will had been amicably separated at the time.
This revelation sparked widespread debate, with Jada asserting that Alsina’s intentions were never to disrupt her marriage. She emphasized his respect for their relationship and his role in her personal journey during their time apart.
In 2023, Jada made another striking confession, revealing that she and Will had been living “completely separate” lives since 2016. Speaking candidly in a primetime NBC News special with Hoda Kotb, she disclosed a promise she made to Will: that divorce would never be an option for them. Despite their individual paths, Jada expressed a commitment to working through their challenges, describing their bond as rooted in profound love and mutual respect.
In a separate interview with People magazine, Jada elaborated on their ongoing efforts to redefine their relationship. She stated that their journey involved intense introspection and hard work, acknowledging that their love would ultimately evolve into a form that suited their unique connection.
Will also addressed the complexities of their relationship in a heartfelt email to The New York Times. Reflecting on the depth of their decades-long partnership, he admitted that being together for so long can lead to a “sort of emotional blindness.” He noted the challenge of maintaining sensitivity to the subtle, beautiful nuances in their relationship, underscoring the deeply intertwined nature of their lives.