Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals Heartbreaking Revelation About Will Smith's Lack of Use of 'Wife' Label Prior to Oscars Incident

Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Jada Pinkett Smith provided additional information regarding her relationship with Will Smith after admitting that they have been separated since 2016.

In a sneak peek of her NBC News prime time special with Hoda Kotb, set to air on Friday, October 13, Pinkett Smith, who is 52 years old, shared her surprise at Smith, 55, referring to her as his "wife" when he confronted Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

"I was completely taken aback when, mind you, I wasn't even part of our relationship," she recounted, contemplating her emotions following Smith's slap on Chris Rock. "It's been a while since we referred to each other as husband and wife. ... I'm genuinely concerned for Will, as I have no idea what's happening."

When Rock, 58, made a comment about Pinkett Smith's shaved head, Smith responded vehemently with, "Don't mention my wife's name ever again." However, Pinkett Smith disclosed earlier this week that she and Smith were already living apart.

Pinkett Smith revealed during her interview with Kotb that Rock apologized to her after the incident, but she was more concerned about her husband, Will Smith. "I was really worried about Will, and Will was upset because Chris was talking to me," she explained. "I told Chris that it was about something from the past. That's all I could think to say, and I couldn't fully accept his apology."

In a preview of her interview with Kotb, Pinkett Smith dropped the surprising news of her separation from Smith. She also discussed their reluctance to file for divorce. "I think it's because we're not ready yet," she said in the clip aired on the Wednesday episode of Today. "We're still trying to figure out how to work together as partners and how to navigate that publicly. We haven't quite figured that out yet."

Pinkett Smith acknowledged that there were numerous reasons for the breakdown of her marriage to Smith seven years ago. "By 2016, we had become weary from our efforts," she reflected. "We were both still clinging onto our idealized versions of one another."

Despite the challenges faced by the estranged couple, Pinkett Smith remains optimistic about the possibility of reconciliation. "I vowed that there would never be a justification for us to divorce. We will navigate through any obstacles. And I have yet to betray that commitment," she confessed. "We reside in separate homes."

The couple, who got married in December 1997 and have two children together, Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22, have faced public scrutiny over their marriage multiple times. In July 2020, Pinkett Smith admitted to being in an "entanglement" with August Alsina while they were separated from Smith. Another incident that made headlines occurred in March 2022 when Smith slapped Rock for making a joke about Pinkett Smith's shaved head at the Oscars.

Over a year after the altercation between Smith and Rock, Pinkett Smith revealed new details about her relationship with Rock before the incident. She stated, "Every summer, there would be reports about me and Will getting a divorce. And during this particular summer, Chris thought we were actually getting divorced." Pinkett Smith shared that Rock reached out to her and said, "I'd love to take you out."

Pinkett Smith was perplexed by Rock’s proposal as she was still in a marital relationship with Smith. “He questioned, ‘Well, aren’t you and Will going through a divorce?’ I replied, ‘No, Chris, those are mere speculations,’” she recounted. “He was shocked. He offered his sincere apologies, and that was all.” (We has reached out to Rock for comment.)

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Jada Pinkett Smith

Will Smith