Jada Pinkett Smith confirms separation from Will Smith: “Not a Divorce on Paper”

Jada Pinkett Smith, the American actress and talk show host, has publicly confirmed her separation from her husband, actor Will Smith. In a clip from her upcoming NBC News primetime special with Hoda Kotb, the 52-year-old revealed that she and Will have been leading “completely separate lives” since 2016.

While they are not legally divorced, they have effectively been living apart for seven years. Pinkett clarified, “It was not a divorce on paper, but it was a divorce. Since 2016, we have been living apart.” She explained that they hadn’t previously gone public with their separation because they weren’t “ready yet.”

The couple, who got married in 1997, share two children: a son named Jaden and a daughter named Willow. In July 2020, singer August Alsina disclosed that he had a romantic involvement with Pinkett Smith, a revelation she later confirmed during an episode of “Red Table Talk” with her husband. Pinkett clarified that her marriage was “going through a very difficult time” when she got into an “entanglement” with August.