Days before the release of her tell-all memoir, Worthy, Jada Pinkett Smith is giving fans a glimpse into just how revealing the reading will be. The actress has shared she and Will Smith, whom she wed in 1997, decided to separate in 2016 and have been living apart since.
Listen to WILLOW Radio and more on the free Audacy app
“We’re still figuring it out,” she told People in a newly published interview. “We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other, and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”
While the news is shocking in itself, it’s made even more surprising to know the pair was separated at the time of Smith’s infamous “Oscar’s slap,” when he struck comedian Chris Rock across the face when he made a joke at the expense of Pinkett Smith.
“I’m going to be by his side,” she said in reference to the event. “But also allow him to have to figure this out for himself.”
The Smith family has remained tight-lipped about the separation for seven years, giving the public no reason to question the status of their marriage. The truth even remained hidden when news of Pinkett Smith having an “entanglement” with singer, August Alsina broke.
According to Pinkett Smith, the pair continues to live separately today. Fans can find out more about the arrangement in her book, Worthy, releasing October 17. Additionally, she can be seen in an exclusive interview special with Hoda Kotb airing October 13 at 8PM ET/PT on NBC.