Jada Pinkett Smith and husband Will Smith have lived "completely separate lives" since 2016, she revealed in an interview with Hoda Kotb. The prominent Hollywood couple married in 1997 and have addressed separations and marital troubles, but never this specifically.
Though it's not a legal divorce, Pinkett Smith told Kotb in a clip released Wednesday on "Today" that it is essentially a divorce without papers. Smith and Pinkett Smith share two children, Willow and Jaden, as well as a son, Trey, from Smith's first marriage.
Representatives for Smith and Pinkett-Smith did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The news came as a surprise to many, considering Pinkett Smith's candor in her "Red Table Talk" series, in which she and Smith addressed her extramarital relationship in an episode in 2020, and the slap at the 2022 Academy Awards. At the ceremony, Smith infamously walked up on stage and struck presenter Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith's hair.
The full interview will air on an hour-long NBC News prime-time special on Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. ET. Pinkett Smith also has a memoir, "Worthy, " out on Oct. 17, which promises more details about their lives and relationship, as well as her upbringing in Baltimore.
She told Kotb that, "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."
Pinkett Smith added that though she's considered divorce, she hasn't been able to go through with it.
"I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through… whatever," she said.
In a new interview with People Magazine, Pinkett Smith also said that she initially thought the slap was part of a skit.
"I was like, 'There's no way that Will hit him,'" Pinkett Smith said. "It wasn't until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn't a skit."
Smith has apologized several times for the incident, which got him a 10-year ban on attending the Oscars or any other academy event.
“Scandal” cast will reunite for online script reading for hurricane relief in western North Carolina
The cast of ABC's hit political drama "Scandal" may need to brush up on their snappy, speedy delivery known as "Scandal-pace," because they're reuniting for a good cause. Its stars including Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young will take part in a live virtual script reading on Nov. 17 to raise money for hurricane relief in western North Carolina.
Beginning Friday, fans can go online and donate to reserve a spot for the online reading. Proceeds will benefit United Way of North Carolina. Everyone who donates will be able to take part in a virtual pre-event with the cast and Shonda Rhimes will give an introduction.
Additional guest stars will also be announced. The online fundraising platform Prizeo is also holding a contest where one person who donates online via their site will be selected to read a role from the script with the actors. The winner should not worry about the "Scandal"-pace, assured Young over Zoom.
"Whomever the lucky reader is can read at whatever pace they want," she said.
Young, who played Mellie Young, the first lady and later Republican presidential nominee on "Scandal," was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. She came up with the idea for the effort with a friend and took it to her fellow "Scandal" actors, who all jumped on board. Young said this is the first script reading the cast has all done together since the show ended after seven seasons in 2018.
Which episode they will be reading has not been announced yet.
Young said it's "been devastating" to see so many parts of her hometown badly damaged by Hurricane Helene, which ravaged western North Carolina one month ago.
To research the best use for donations, Young spoke with numerous political leaders, including North... Read More