Jada Pinkett Smith has sparked conversations as of late, thanks to her new memoir, Worthy. The actress and host’s promotional tour for the book has also been eventful due to the fact that she’s been opening up about her career and personal life amid interviews. What’s arguably been the biggest revelation shared is the fact that she and husband Will Smith, who married in 1997, have been separated since 2016. Pinkett Smith has provided more context on their decision and, now, she’s explaining why she felt it was necessary.
The Matrix alum’s decision to reveal her and her husband’s separation took much of the public by surprise. Over the past several years, they continued to appear in public together, with the family dynamic they established with their kids seemingly still intact. Fans of the two A-listers may feel some kind of way about their situation, but Jada Pinkett Smith doesn’t seem to have any regrets. She sat down with CBS Mornings to promote her book and opened up about the arrangement, specifically what contributed to it. And as she explained, at least part of it had to do with what she was feeling at that point in her life:
I needed time for emotional maturity. First of all, I was in a deep healing process, and I think I needed to really dissolve some false ideas of what marriage is, false ideas of what I thought Will needed to be for me, versus what I needed to learn to be for myself in order to have a loving relationship. I had to really do some deep healing.
It sounds like the 52-year-old star wanted to get introspective during that time, and that’s something plenty of us can probably relate to. Certain people may find that they need to work on themselves in order to better understand who they are as well as what kind of relationships they desire. And anyone can be in a position where they need to take this kind of inventory, even someone who seemingly lives a charmed life like the Girls Trip alum. Later in this latest interview, she spoke more about her desire to work through struggles years ago:
I probably did have the perfect life. I just couldn't see it because there was so much hurt and imperfection within me. I had to go through a long healing process to get to a place of joy and happiness.
Up to this point, much of the public has been curious about the exact circumstances that initiated the separation. Another question that’s been floating around is why the couple waited so long to break the news. PR experts weighed in on Jada Pinkett Smith’s approach to the matter, and they believe this was a “strategic move” for her career. Other members of the family haven’t spoken out on the situation. Will Smith turned his social media “notifications off” after the announcement was made. Meanwhile, sources claim their kids wish the separation wasn’t revealed.
Jada Pinkett Smith believes her relationship with her husband has “benefitted” from her transparency, though. This press tour (and the book surrounding it) have seemingly allowed her to reckon with some elements in her life. She also thinks that as a result of her candidness, her spouse now has “intimate insight into everything in a way that he might not have had without her memoir. With that in mind, it’s probably fair to assume that the former Red Table Talk host is going to continue to open up about her life when and how she sees fit.
Worthy is now available wherever books are sold, and those looking to see Will Smith can check him out in Bad Boys 4, which opens on June 14 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.
