Jada Pinkett Smith admits she split from Will Smith five years before 2016 split

16 October 2023 , 10:25

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Jada Pinkett Smith admits she split from Will Smith five years before 2016 split

Jada Pinkett-Smith has opened up about a "big breakup" she experienced with estranged husband Will Smith before ultimate split in 2016.

Five years prior at the time of her 40th birthday, Jada confirmed that the pair split but didn't divorce and kept the news away from the public. Speaking to Jay Shetty on the On Purpose podcast, she admitted the couple have been through "several breakups" during their 19-year marriage.

"There have been several breakups," Jada revealed. "My 40th birthday was a big breakup for us, we were looking towards separating and divorcing.

"We separated and then we had a reconciliation, the world just didn’t know. And then 2016 came and we had the ultimate break. We were living lives as single people," she told Jay.

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Jada has opened up about her marriage (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty I)

It comes after the state of their turbulent relationship was made public by Jada, who said they are still trying to "figure out" what the future of their marriage looks like. She admitted that they have been separated since 2016.

Jada explained that they had even been living separately when Will famously slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars last year. Will, now 54, confronted comedian Chris, now 58, during the live broadcast of the awards ceremony over a joke that had been made about his wife's alopecia.

Speaking to People magazine Jada said: "We're still figuring it out." She added: "We've been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other, and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us."

Will and Jada have been separated since 2016 (AFP via Getty Images)

Jada admitted they had several breakups (Getty Images North America)

Will and Jada share two children together - Willow, 22, and Jaden, 25. Speaking about their kids, Jada said: "My children, they're little gurus. They've taught me a deep sense of self-acceptance."

The couple has experienced several difficulties in their marriage, including when she had a four-year affair with a friend of her son, Willow. She later openly discussed her "entanglement" with rapper August Alsina in 2020. In the past, they have alluded to having an "unconventional" union, with Pinkett Smith once saying they are free to "do whatever they want" in their "grown relationship".

Lauren Gordon