If you’ve been keeping up with Jada Pinkett Smith over the past few years, you’ve noticed that she’s 100-percent committed to keeping it honest about all aspects of her life, especially matters of the heart. Whether talking about her former unhealthy relationship to porn on or the rocky moments in her marriage to Will Smith on Red Table Talk, the actress keeps it realer than real.
While appearing on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week, Pinkett Smith says she’s on a mission to show that even Hollywood relationships go through their peaks and valleys. “What was really important about Will and I doing that [Red Table Talk] together — two things: First of all was really to kind of get rid of the idea that people in the public eye have perfect relationships,” Pinkett Smith said. “We were kind of sick of living up to that. We were real sick of it. And then second of all, really having myself and Will come and talk about our relationship — sometimes you see just women do it alone or you just see a guy do it.”
She continued: “Us coming together and taking responsibility for both of our parts and also Will being the successful guy that he is and being willing to share what his pitfalls were in the relationship and in his family, you can’t imagine how many other successful men called and said, ‘Wow, my wife has been saying the same thing for years. Because you said it, it opened my eyes and because you said it, I’m willing to listen.”
During a June 2019 episode of Red Table Talk, Pinkett Smith revealed that while infidelity hasn’t played a role in her marriage, “betrayals of the heart” certainly have. “I’m asked a lot about, ‘Is there infidelity in your relationship with Will?’” she explained. “And it’s like, ‘No, but there’ve been other betrayals of the heart that have been far bigger than I could even think in regards to an infidelity situation.’ When you talk about contempt, resentment, neglect, it can just tear your world apart.”
Through consistency and communication, The Smiths were able to repair their relationship. According to Jada, they’re now stronger than ever. “We had to rebuild with new rules and something way, completely different.”
Jada and Will met in 1994 and married in 1997. They have two children: Willow, 18, and Jaden, 21, who have become successful music artists.
See Jada’s full Late Show with Stephen Colbert interview below.