Few marriages in recent history have been as public as Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s. The Hollywood power couple has not shied away from sharing the intimate details of their relationship with the world. It would be easy to think that there’s not much left to reveal – but according to the Matrix Revolutions star, she and her husband still have a lot to learn about each other. And she believes their relationship has benefitted from her willingness to be open about their separation and much more in her recent memoir.
In Worthy, Jada Pinkett Smith is open and vulnerable about some of the most pivotal moments of her life. That may not sound like huge news – after all, the actress and Red Table Talk host has made a name for herself, in part, through her candor. But her memoir is about far more than dishing on her love life or marriage to Will Smith. Worthy gives the Set It Off star a chance to share some of her hardest truths, including her struggles with mental health. She told InStyle that the memoir hasn’t just helped her heal, it’s also helped strengthen her relationship with the King Richard actor:
I'll definitely say it's benefited a lot. It's been so interesting because you think you know somebody and, that's the thing, you never stop learning about your partner. I think for Will, it gave him such intimate insight into everything in a way that I don't know if he would've had without a book. Because you don't go, Hey, sit and tell me, go into detail about generational trauma between your great-grandmother, your grandmother, your mother, and you.
It may come as a surprise to some that the Bad Boys For Life and Scream 2 stars are still uncovering new truths about each other. However, it’s refreshing to know that even after more than two decades of marriage, they are still learning – and it’s understandable why having some of their biggest issues out in the open could help both of them grow.
For fans of the actors, there is also a lot to learn and unpack in Worthy. Pinkett Smith doesn’t hold back when talking about her high-profile marriage, and she even reflects on the advice she’d give the “two young people in love” when they first got together. The memoir also gives the actress-turned-author a chance to unpack her reaction to the now-infamous Oscars night slap, and – more shockingly – reveal the fact that, though they have no plans to divorce, she and Smith have been separated since 2016.
In other words, it sounds like everyone is learning something new from Worthy. And while scrutiny surrounding their relationship likely won’t die down any time soon, Will and Jada seem to be taking it in stride. Shortly after the news of their separation started making headlines, the Oscar-winner shared that he was turning his “notifications off” on social media - and if Pinkett-Smith’s laughter in the comments of his post is any indication, their relationship appears to be as strong as ever.
