PHOTOSWill Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Relationship Timeline in 12 Photos
Jada Pinkett Smith said that she and Will Smith have been separated for seven years.
1994: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Met
Will Smith said his connection with Jada Pinkett Smith was a huge surprise.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith met when she auditioned for the role of his onscreen girlfriend on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
She did not get the role, but she soon won Will's heart after he realized she was the woman he "was supposed to be with."
"You don't know about all the walls you build up in your mind and heart until someone comes along and tears them down," Will said of his connection with Jada in an interview with People in 1996. "Outside of my mother, Jada's the first person with whom I can share what I think and what I feel so freely."
1995: They Started Dating
Will Smith was married to Sheree Zampino when he met Jada Pinkett Smith.
After Will's divorce from Sheree Zampino, he asked Jada if she was seeing anyone at that time. When he learned she was single and available, he took his chance and started dating her.
November 1997: Will Proposed to Jada
The "Ring My Bell" rapper proposed to Jada in November 1997 while they were getting ready to go to sleep. The proposal was a "classic" one for them – no rings and no getting down on one knee.
December 31, 1997: They Tied the Knot
Jada Pinkett Smith found out she was pregnant with her first child with Will Smith after their engagement.
A month after Will popped the question, they tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in Baltimore, Md.
July 8, 1998: They Welcomed Their First Child Together
Will Smith is also a father to Trey.
The pair welcomed their child Jaden Smith nearly seven months after the wedding. The now 25-year-old rapper and actor marked his film debut with Will in the movie The Pursuit of Happiness.
October 31, 2000: Willow Smith Was Born
Willow Smith made her acting debut in 2007.
Will and Jada welcomed Willow Smith two years after Jaden was born. Aside from a career as an actress, Willow also dabbles in music and hosting.
September 2011: The Pair Went Through a Rough Patch
Both Will and Jada Pinkett Smith admitted to having affairs.
To make Jada's 40th birthday extra special, Will started preparing for it a day after her 37th with the help of a team he created. They detailed what happened in an episode of Red Table Talk a decade after the celebration.
"I hired a documentary team. I traced Mommy's family roots. Her 40th birthday was going to be my thing," he explained. "It was going to be a splash. Mary J. Blige performed. I debuted the film. It was gonna be the thing that lifted her out of this midlife crisis. It was gonna be my deepest, most beautiful proclamation of love."
However, it only caused them to undergo a rough patch.
Will told Oprah Winfrey in November 2021 that his wife felt like it was a "ridiculous display of ego" instead of a celebration to mark her birthday.
April 2013: Rumors About Their Open Marriage Emerged
Will Smith once wanted a polyamorous relationship.
Amid their strong marriage, the public misinterpreted Jada's statement to HuffPost Live regarding her decision to allow Will to do whatever he wanted to do.
Some said it was a sign they had an open marriage, but the Scream 2 actress clarified that their setup only meant a mature relationship.
"He's been by my side through some of the most difficult parts of my life," she continued. "And so that's something you can never take away."
August 2015: Divorce Rumors Surfaced
Jada Pinkett Smith said she only had her eyes for Will Smith.
On Facebook, Will addressed the rumors that they were getting a divorce and clarified they were not separating. His comment mirrored what Jada told American Way Magazine regarding the buzz getting renewed every year.
"Marriages go through shifts," she said. "And relationships go through shifts because in life things shift. So people are automatically like, 'What's going on? They must be getting a divorce.' Well, no. But when people feel those shifts and there's a mystery, they have to fill it with something."
December 31, 2017: They Celebrated Their 20th Wedding Anniversary
They celebrated their silver wedding anniversary in 2022.
In a heartfelt post on Instagram, Will marked their 20 years of marriage featuring a throwback photo from their wedding day and a sweet message for his "Queen."
July 2018: They No Longer Say They 'Are Married' Anymore
Jada Pinkett Smith had a romantic relationship with August Alsina.
Instead of saying they were married, Will revealed on TIDAL's "Rap Radar" podcast that they started referring to each other as life partners.
"There's no deal breakers," the Six Degrees of Separation star stated. "There's nothing she could do — ever. Nothing that would break our relationship. She has my support till death and it feels so good to get to that space."
October 11, 2023: Jada Revealed They Have Been Separated Since 2016
The public thought Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith got back together after her romance with August Alsina.
Two months before their wedding anniversary, the A Different World star revealed on Today that she and Will have been separated for seven years after they got "exhausted with trying." She clarified to Hoda Kotb that their split was not a divorce on paper and that they had no reason to go through that process.
"We will work through ... whatever," Jada explained. "I just haven't been able to break that promise."
She also told People they are still figuring things out regarding their marriage.
