Are Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith divorced for real? Longtime fans of the celebrity pair have expressed confusion over their complex relationship. Things have intensified since the couple has been out of the spotlight for over a year. Yes, Will Smith and his family are Hollywood royalty. But are he and Jada still family? What is the actual status of his marriage to Jada? Here, we break down the rumors and the truth.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attended the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022. (Photo Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith: Are They Still Married?
Since Will famously slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, he and Jada have kept a low profile. However, that changed in late 2023 when Jada embarked on a press tour for her memoir, *Worthy*. Naturally, the press was eager to know about her marriage and how things were going with Will after nearly 30 years together. That’s when she dropped the bombshell: Jada and Will were no longer together.
According to Jada, the couple had been secretly but effectively separated since 2016. This revelation meant that they had been leading their own lives while masquerading as a still-committed couple for seven years. However, legally speaking, the couple remains married. They are not officially divorced.
“Yes, it was not a divorce on paper, but it was a divorce,” Jada told *Today Show* host Hoda Kotb. She acknowledged the swirling rumors about their relationship, including wild claims of a “lavender marriage” or that they were swingers. “I can definitely understand why there would be misunderstandings,” Jada diplomatically noted. “But none of it’s true.” Nevertheless, when Will shouted at Chris Rock to keep his “wife’s name” out of his mouth, Jada had not been Will’s wife for quite some time.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attended Apple Original Films’ “Emancipation” Los Angeles premiere at Regency Village Theatre on November 30, 2022. (Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Jada & Will Smith’s Divorce: Why Haven’t They Gone Through With It Officially?
For many, the decision to separate rather than officially divorce might seem perplexing, especially given their financial means. Jada explained that the situation was more complicated than it appeared. “I think just not being ready yet,” she reasoned. “Still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in a partnership.”
She elaborated, “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.” Jada admitted, “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.”
Even now, Jada emphasized, “We don’t want to [divorce]. We love our family. And we love each other. It’s more of a life partnership. Ten years from now, Hoda, who knows?”
Will Smith broke his silence on the split from Jada in 2023, telling *The New York Times* that her open and honest discussion of their relationship was inspirational to him. “When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life, a sort of emotional blindness sets in,” he explained. Will acknowledged, “You can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties.”
In March 2024, during an interview on *306 with Speedy*, Will hinted that more revelations about his marriage would be discussed in the future, albeit in a more artful manner. “I’m certainly going to be a little more delicate with it, but to me, the process of evolving and elevating and learning how to love, and learning how to share, and learning how to interact — that’s what we’re all doing,” he stated.
Will Smith is a divorced man: How his first marriage ended. In May of 1992, Will married Sheree Zampino, and they welcomed their son, Trey, in November of that year. However, the marriage did not last, and they divorced in 1995. Will has described that divorce as a painful decision that continues to haunt him. “Divorce was the worst thing in my adult life,” he expressed during a *Red Table Talk* episode in 2020.
Both Will and Sheree moved on, with Will marrying Jada in 1996. Sheree married Terrell Fletcher in 2007, though they divorced in 2014. The two have managed to co-parent Trey effectively, demonstrating that loving family units can come in many shapes and sizes.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attended the Los Angeles premiere of Columbia Pictures’ “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” at the TCL Chinese Theatre on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Today: Are They Still Together?
As previously mentioned, the couple has largely kept a low profile. However, Will still has to go to work! On May 30, 2024, he made a public appearance with his family for the *Bad Boys: Ride or Die* premiere, which included still-wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Their son Trey, whom he shares with ex-wife Sheree Zampino, was also present, along with son Jaden and daughter Willow, whom he shares with Jada. Jada’s mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, was also in attendance.
While Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are not divorced, it’s clear that neither of them knows exactly what the future holds for their family. They are navigating their unique relationship dynamic, doing what works for them, for as long as it works.
