This whole Jada Pinkett-Will Smith mess is really confusing to me. Over the summer, when the reports first came out about their marriage troubles, Will and Jada did a cursory denial, a few photo ops, and made some noise about suing In Touch Weekly, the tabloid that first reported the marriage trouble (and Jada’s alleged affair with Marc Anthony). As the months went on, the reports kept growing, and Jada and Will don’t seem to have any interest in denying them at this point. Allegedly, they’re “tired of faking it” and they’re basically not even living together at this point. Will is living it up in Miami, acting like a bachelor and maybe hitting up a “hot blonde.” And now In Touch claims that Jada is talking to a divorce lawyer – and not just any lawyer. Laura Wasser, who is representing Vanessa Bryant, and who got Kelis her big settlement from Nas.

Ever since August, when In Touch first broke the news of a rift between Will Smith and Jada pInkett Smith, the pair has been trying hard to present a united front. (Well, as hard as a couple can try, with her living in LA and him mostly in Miami.)

But it seems that Jada has finally gotten sick of pretending that everything is fine: In an explosive revelation, a source exclusively tells In Touch that Jada has met with a high-powered divorce attorney!

“Jada recently visited the offices of Laure Wasser,” the source reveals. “it appears that she has finally begun to take steps to dissolve their marriage.”

And that’s not all: A different insider says that career-obsessed Jada has gone so far as to turn down a plum role in order to be with her children during the coming months.

“Keanu Reeves wanted to cast her in his directorial debut,” the insider says, “but she told him it was ‘a difficult time’ and that she wouldn’t be able to leave her kids to shoot in Asia. She was talking like a single mother!” the insider added.

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

If I have a gossip gift, it’s predicting pregnancies, not breakups. I’m still kind of shocked that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are making it work, and I’m flabbergasted that Chris Martin hasn’t shiv’d Gwyneth Paltrow with a diamond-encrusted ice pick. But I am getting the feeling that Will and Jada are going to end things this year. By December 2012, they will be totally over, I think.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

Back in August, In Touch Weekly had an “exclusive” cover story, all about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, and how their 14-year-marriage was/is on the rocks. Will and Jada denied the story at the time, but the effort totally seemed half-hearted. Part of the story was that Jada had an affair with Marc Anthony while both were married, and while they were working together on HawthoRNe. Jada and Will made some noise about suing, but nothing has been filed and the story is still sitting out there, being mentioned in every report about Will and Jada now. Anyway, a few months passed and there were new rumors about their marriage being in trouble. Will seems to be living permanently in Miami, while Jada is in NYC and LA. There are claims that both are “tired of faking it” and that Will is acting like a bachelor down in Miami.

Now The Enquirer has “exclusive” photos of Will partying with a “hot blonde” in South Beach. We can’t use the photos, so let me describe them – blurry Will Smith in the same frame as a Kristen Wiig-looking girl. Here’s more from the Enquirer:

With his 14-year-marriage teetering on the brink of divorce, Will Smith was caught partying in trendy South Beach with a hot blonde. Exclusive photos obtained by The Enquirer show Will with the unidentified blonde as the drinks and good times flowed at one of the Miami area’s ritziest romantic hideaways.

Meanwhile, Jada Pinkett Smith was nowhere in sight.

Will enjoyed his freedom by hitting South Beach on three nights. On Dec. 18, Will turned up at the upscale Sardinia restaurant with the blonde and a group of friends.

“He was fascinated by the woman,” a source at the restaurant told The Enquirer. “Several times I saw him put his hand on her arm. He was paying little attention to other people at the table. Then when they left and were waiting for their cars, he was shadowboxing and clowning around for her – and she was totally into him!”

On his other nights on the town, Will visited the exclusive eatery Casa Tua with buddies and several women, and he later enjoyed dinner with pals at Prime 112, one of his favorite eating spots.

“Will was behaving like a bachelor, and Jada seemed to be the last thing on his mind,” added the source.

[From The Enquirer, print edition]

I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. I get that some (many) of you think that Will and Jada’s marriage is some kind of mutual bearding situation, and although I like conspiracy theories, I always bought that Will and Jada had a solid marriage. Was it a marriage with secrets and perhaps some Xenu-related drama? Sure. But… I like Will Smith. I always believed that he was a decent man. Is he screwing around on Jada? Was she screwing around on him? Are they pretty much separated at this point? I don’t know.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

Dear Emma Thompson,

WTF? Are you poor?

Love, K

So, this is the new trailer for the completely unnecessary third installment for Men In Black. To my recollection, MIB II wasn’t even a hit… let me check that out… it did decent business, better than I thought, but it was by no means a super-successful sequel. So why do yet another MIB film? Because Hollywood has run out of ideas? Sidenote: I’m not a big fan of saying “Hollywood has run out of ideas” because I don’t think they have – I think there are a lot of extremely talented storytellers who work in Hollywood, people who would make wonderful, interesting, creative films if only the studios would fund those projects. But studios won’t fund those projects because the studios worry that no one will go see those kinds of films. The studio thinks you’re stupid. And sometimes, you prove them right.

So, anyway. MIB III. Will Smith seems like he’s carrying this bitch, and even then, he might be phoning some of it in. I feel for Tommy Lee Jones, that old bastard. He must have wanted a nice paycheck too. As for Emma Thompson and Josh Brolin… I don’t even know. Emma’s not poor, and neither is Josh. Josh seems like the kind of actor more likely to just sign on to something because it looks fun, which maybe this did…? But Emma… I expected more from her.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

On Wednesday, I covered some early excerpts from Star Magazine’s cover story this week, all about how Will Smith and Jada Pinkett are headed for divorce. The cover story in the print edition doesn’t cover that much more, but Star did compile an extensive timeline to “prove” that Will and Jada have been spending a lot of time apart over the past year, especially in the past few months. I won’t bore you with those details – suffice to say, Star seems to have accurately traced Will and Jada’s movements for months, and it doesn’t seem like they’re the portrait of a healthy marriage – Will is pretty much living alone in their Miami home, and he goes out partying with “the boys” a lot, all while Jada is in NYC and LA with the kids. Here are just some random pieces in the Star report that I found interesting:

Sources tell Star that Will and Jada’s marriage is over and they expect divorce papers to be filed. One source says: “They’ve been faking it for a long time and they don’t want to live a lie anymore. Living and sleeping separately – and now Will finally walking out on Jada – have pushed them to their limit. They’re done.”

An insider says: “Will and Jada are finished after 14 years. They’re still keeping up appearances because they worry divorce could hurt their careers, but there’s no turning back now. It needs to end.”

“They’ve been trying to work through it, but things came to a head in early November, when they got into a huge knock-down, drag-out fight. They put up a good front in public, but behind closed doors they really fight like cats and dogs.”

“Will is barely speaking to Jada as it is. But when they fight, he’ll storm out and go off to spend time with his guy friends… he and Jada are living separate lives.”

Jada’s great-aunt, Estelle Pinkett, tells Star: “Jada’s already gone through a lot of tragedy. Both her grandmother and father died not too long ago, and I know it was hard for her. I really hope that she and Will can work it out. They always seemed like a pretty compatible couple. And even if they’re having troubled, I just don’t think, in the end, that they’d be satisfied with anyone else. Marriage is hard work for anyone, so I hope they stick it out.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

In Touch has a similar story, only In Touch’s sources don’t make grand pronouncements claiming that everybody totally knows that IT’S OVER. ITW’s story is basically just restating that Jada and Will have been spending a lot of time apart, and then sources say it’s getting really hard on their kids. Bodyguards are now shuffling the kids around to and from school and various activities and stuff, and Jada and Will used to be very hands-on parents and they aren’t anymore.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

At the end of the day, I always end up admiring Star Magazine and The National Enquirer. They’re the two seediest tabloids in America, and they get decent scoops often enough that I often put stock in whatever they’re reporting. I also appreciate how ballsy they are in going after certain celebrities that most of the other magazines just refuse to touch. Back in August, In Touch Weekly shocked everybody by claiming that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were “separated” and headed for a massive split, all because Jada was fooling around with Marc Anthony when they worked together on HawthoRNe. In the following month, both Will and Jada stepped out and did some damage control, threatened to sue In Touch, and all of the “respectable” tabloids cleaned up the mess and claimed that Jada and Will were just fine, thank you very much.

Now Star Magazine is doubling-down on In Touch’s claims. According to their sources, Will and Jada are totally headed for divorce:

After 14 years of marriage, Will Smith, 43, and Jada Pinkett Smith, 40, seem to be heading straight for divorce, sources reveal in a new Star magazine report. Endless fights, Will’s nights out partying with the guys and sleeping in separate bedrooms have left the couple living two “separate lives.”

“They’ve been faking it for a long time and they don’t want to live a lie anymore,” a source tells Star magazine. “Living and sleeping separately — and now Will finally walking out on Jada — have pushed them to their limit. They’re done.”

The marriage is done. “Will and Jada are finished,” says another insider. “They’re still keeping up appearances because they worry divorce could hurt their careers, but there’s no turning back now. It needs to end.”

Sources expect that the couple will file for divorce quite soon — and that a nasty, drawn-out battle over their $520 million will follow.

In August, the couple fought off rumors that they had already split, and they tried to work on their issues.

“They’ve been trying to work through it, but things came to a head in early November, when they got into a huge knock-down, drag-out fight,” a source shares. “They put up a good front in public, but behind doors they really fight like cats and dogs. They’ve always had issues in their relationship, and now they’re bubbling to the surface.”

Will “has taken to spending many nights” in a different bedroom from Jada, notes an insider. “He’s barely speaking to Jada as it is. But when they fight, he’ll storm out and go off to spend time with his guy friends. He and Jada are living separate lives.”

Will has also been traveling all over the world with his guy pals, almost as to forget about his problems back at home. On Nov. 26, he was spotted at Drink! Win Bar in Port of Spain. Later that night, he was out until 4 a.m. at 51 Degrees. He “wasn’t wearing a wedding ring,” says a witness.

“Will feels like he’s living a lie for everyone else, but he knows it needs to end,” explains a source. “They can’t keep pretending.”

[From Hollywood Life]

It’s weird because Page Six just had a report about Will and Jada being out together in Miami a few nights ago – go here to see Page Six’s report. They were at a club called Liv, listening to DJ David Guetta. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Will and Jada react to this story. If they just do the bare minimum of damage control – vague threats to sue, a photo op, a publicist’s denial – I will think that something is sketchy. I don’t believe all of the conspiracy theories about them, but I do think something weird is going on with their marriage. It’s been ages since Jada has given an interview about their sex life. THAT speaks volumes.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Jada is shown here wearing her ring on 8-1-11. Go to X-17 to see the ringless photos, which look staged

Photo agency X-17 and MSNBC’s The Scoop are making a big deal out of the fact that Jada Pinkett Smith stepped out without her massive pear-shaped diamond wedding ring. I did some forensic analysis (ha!) of older photos of Jada, and even when she’s casually dressed and out without Will, she wears that ginormous bauble. For example here she is at the LA Times Festival Of Books in April, wearing jeans and a jean jacket, but still with her ring.

In April with the ring:

I couldn’t find any photos of her without it at any of our agencies (which don’t have recent photos). I did find these photos of her ringless in late August, which could possibly be dismissed since she’s out exercising. Given the fact that she still isn’t wearing her ring, I would say that things are close to over between her and Will. Remember how they were rumored to be planning to sue In Touch for their split article last month? We haven’t heard anything about that since.

So did Jada cheat with Marc Anthony on the set of HawthoRNe? Marc has denied it, but I bet there was at least an inappropriately close “friendship” there. That can happen when one party wants out of a marriage, and it often blows up into an affair. An emotional affair can be just as devastating to a marriage, though, and whatever went on between Jada and Marc may have hastened the end of Marc’s marriage to J.Lo.

Are Jada and Will the next celebrities who are going to announce a split? I wouldn’t count on it. I bet they’ll keep it under wraps for as long as possible. It’s probably the best way to deal with it, given their kids’ ages (10 and 13) and how an announcement could affect them.

Will and Jada in June:

In February:

With the ring on 8/2/11:

There was a rumor going around last year that some dumb producer wanted to remake the comedy classic Overboard – I discussed it here. The rumor involved Jennifer Lopez taking the role that was originally played by Goldie Hawn, in one of her best comedic performances ever. Well, according to Us Weekly, Jennifer still wants to do Overboard, still wants to play the Goldie role, and now there are several new twists. One, Jennifer’s career is in much better shape, and this is much more likely to happen now. Two, Jennifer’s soon-to-be-ex-husband was maybe (but maybe not) boning Jada Pinkett Smith, who is married to a closet-Scientologist (like Jennifer), Will Smith. Three, Will Smith wants to make the movie with Jennifer now.

Spouse swap! Marc Anthony and Jada Pinkett Smith have already steamed up the screen on TNT’s Hawthorne – and now Jennifer Lopez is joining the Will Smith-produced remake of the 1987 romantic comedy Overboard.

“They have wanted to work together for nearly a decade,” says an insider. Now, with Jennifer’s career on the rise, she’s eager to take on the snobby heiress role that Goldie Hawn made famous.

“She can make fun of her diva reputation,” says one source. Adds another, “Will says if she pokes fun at herself, the public will really appreciate it.”

[From Us Weekly, print edition]

I did a few minutes of hunting on Google, and I found that Will’s IMDB page does not list Overboard as one of the films that Will is even mentioned for, as a star or as a producer. But! Will’s production company, which did the remake of The Karate Kid with his son Jaden, was signed on to Overboard last year, so it may still be a property that they’re developing. Now, Us Weekly doesn’t say that Will wants to star in the movie with Jennifer, presumably in the Kurt Russell role, but it’s implied, isn’t it? Ugh. How would you feel about it if Jennifer and Will starred in an Overboard remake? I feel ill.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

It took most of Tuesday, but FINALLY, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith released a direct denial of In Touch Weekly’s story. Yesterday, various media outlets got advanced copies of ITW’s big story this week, about how Jada Pinkett Smith screwed around with Marc Anthony on the set of HawthoRNe and how that affair led to Jada and Will’s split. Most of the day was full of unnamed sources coming out of the woodwork to proclaim that Jada and Will were fine, and Will’s son Trey even came out to deny the split story. Finally, Jada’s rep got her ass in gear and denied the Marc Anthony affair to Us Weekly, and then Will and Jada offered a joint statement denial:

“Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false,” the couple said in a joint statement Tuesday. “We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”

[Will and Jada’s statement via People]

For what it’s worth, I think they’re still together. I’m not saying there isn’t something weird or fishy going on with their marriage – there totally is. I’m not saying that they’re not involved with the Church of Scientology, and that doesn’t make me question what kind of auditing/contract/Xenu-and-barley-water rituals are going down – they’re totally involved with CoS, and it’s sketchy as hell. What I’m saying is that I think Jada and Will are tight and committed to their family unit and the corporation around their unit.

So what was going on with ITW’s report? Why did it take most of a day to get an explicit denial? Why did In Touch treat this report like a sure thing, sending the story out as an exclusive to media outlets? I don’t know. It will be interesting to see how everything plays out in the lawsuit. That’s right – Radar reports that Will and Jada are already talking to lawyers:

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith are the newest Hollywood couple rumored to be splitting, but after issuing a statement that they are not separating, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned that the couple is utilizing their legal team regarding the false report.

“Will and Jada are not splitting and they’ve already got their legal team involved,” a source close to the situation told RadarOnline.com.

“Like any other A-list couple they’re used to inaccurate reports sometimes, but when it comes to their marriage, they don’t appreciate anyone demeaning it.”

According to the source, the power couple has discussed the report with their legal team and will privately decide how to proceed.

“They’re good sports and they’re laughing about it, but they have to talk about it with their legal council to protect themselves,” the source said.

Will and Jada issued a statement Tuesday afternoon, blasting the report, that was published in In Touch Weekly magazine, saying: “Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”

Sources close to the couple tell RadarOnline.com they’re happily married and hope the issue can be resolved with the help of their legal team.

[From Radar]

It will be interesting to see if there’s some follow-through with a lawsuit. It’s hit or miss for celebrities to sue the American tabloids – Chris Martin never got around to suing Star Magazine about the report he was boning Kate Bosworth, but David Beckham did sue In Touch over the story that he boned an escort in 2007, but the case was later thrown out (but not before In Touch went to war with Beckham in the courts, and made it sound like they had even more stories about his many affairs). I eagerly await our copy of ITW this week so I can read the whole story, and then I’ll be able to judge whether or not ITW’s sourcing was any good. This might be a case like Brangelina suing News of the World for their false split story – NOTW ended up having to pay out to Brangelina.

UPDATE: TMZ has an interesting story this morning:

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are having significant problems in their marriage, but they have NOT made a decision to separate … at least not yet — this according to sources connected with the couple.

Reports have been swirling that the couple has separated. We’re told it’s “definitely a possibility” but they haven’t pulled the trigger. In fact, we’ve learned Will, Jada and their kids are going away together soon — as a family. Our sources would neither confirm nor deny if the trip is a last ditch effort to save the relationship.

We also asked our sources about the somewhat curious statement from Will and Jada, that their marriage is “intact.” Specifically, why didn’t they go the more traditional PR route and say they’re still in love and committed to each other? Our sources privately said, the language was carefully constructed.

[From TMZ]

Well, I think that still holds with my theory that their marriage is screwed up, but they’re committed to each other, and committed to being together. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Jesus! Just the other day, I was thinking about how slow it was going to be this week, and how we wouldn’t have much gossip until September, when the film festivals and Oscar campaigns begin in earnest. I actually thought to myself, “I wish some big couple would break up. Someone exciting.” Well… something might have happened. MIGHT. In Touch Weekly (via The Mail) is reporting that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have separated.

Just last month they opened the doors of their luxury Malibu home and happily posed for a revealing and intimate family photo shoot.

But Hollywood power couple Will Smith, 42, and wife Jade Pinkett-Smith’s seemingly picture perfect marriage has now come to a shock end, according to a new report.

The pair, who have been married for 13 years, are said to have decided to call it quits, according to America’s In Touch Weekly magazine.

This will be the second marriage to end for Men In Black star Smith who divorced former fashion design student Sheree Zampino in 1995 after three years together.

The couple had a son, Willard Christopher Smith, also known as Trey, who is now 18.

He later dedicated his 1998 single Just the Two of Us, to Trey. Lyrics included: ‘It didn’t work out with me and your mom/But yo, push come to shove/You was conceived in love.’

After his divorce, Smith found comfort in Jada, whom he had first met in 1990 when she auditioned and was rejected for the role of his girlfriend on his hit TV show, The Fresh Prince.

In 1997, they married in a lavish ceremony at a mansion near her hometown of Baltimore in front 100 friends and family.

[From The Mail]

When TMZ contacted Jada’s rep, Karynne Tencer, she said, “What? In Touch said that? I know nothing about this … Lord. I’m going back to bed.” So obviously, this is still in the “In Touch Weekly is reporting it, for what it’s worth” stage of gossip developments. Nothing has been confirmed, and if ITW’s story is untrue, I tend to think Will and Jada could possibly sue. If it is true, then what a coup for ITW, and I expect Will and Jada will release a statement to People Magazine or Us Weekly shortly.

UPDATE: Us Weekly got a denial from an “insider” who claims that ITW’s report is “100 percent not true…It’s total bulls***.” Radar also has some unnamed sources denying the report:

“This is absolutely not true,” a family member –who did not want to be identified – exclusively told RadarOnline.com Tuesday about the rumors that the couple has broken up.

“No way are they splitting up. They are totally together and are not separating,” the family member said.

Meanwhile, a separate source that works very closely with Smith at his production company, Overbrook Entertainment, exclusively told RadarOnline.com: “The rumors are not true. Not sure who the source was but they are wrong. All is good in their relationship.”

Reports that Will and Jada, the Hollywood powerhouse couple who have been married for 13 years, surfaced Tuesday and the report was quickly shot down by those close to them.

“They’re happy and married still,” the family member said when asked about the rumored split.

[From Radar]

OK, can I just say something? I thought the report from ITW was suspicious, but now I’m getting more suspicious because Jada and Will haven’t flat-out denied it. There is nothing around from their reps, no named sources going on the record about their marriage. It’s weird. Very sketchy.

UPDATE #2: Another Us Weekly report, and this time they spoke to Jada’s rep who didn’t outright deny the separation story, but did deny the alleged affair with Marc Anthony…? Apparently, ITW’s report claims that Jada and Marc had an affair, and THAT is what lead to Will and Jada’s separation. The rep says, “Everything about Jada and Marc Anthony is false… In regard to Jada and Will, I will not comment on their personal lives.” Meanwhile, Will’s son Trey went on Twitter and said, “Did WillandJada split? No they did NOT split ! False information ..its not true. Will and Jada getting a DIVORCE ..NOT TRUE AT ALL !! Everyone can think what they want ..even if its not true #Lame”

UPDATE #3: Finally, a real denial from Will and Jada, via a joint statement to People Mag: “Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith opened up their insane 25,000 square foot adobe-style home in Calabassas, CA for a cover spread in the upcoming issue of Architectural Digest. The home was of course custom built, and Will explains that it has no dead ends in order “to create an infinite cycle that represented what Jada and I hoped for our love.” Are your eyes rolling out of your head yet? Your mouth will fall open involuntarily when you see the Bing birds’ eye view of this property, which shows that it could easily serve as a full service resort hotel. [virtual globetrotting via ONTD]

The interior photos make the property look like a hotel, too with plenty of seating areas and props spread around. Will explained to AD that everything was built by hand.

Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, grace the cover of AD’s September issue, sharing with us their family’s highly personal retreat near Calabasas, California. The feature—which focuses on the home’s sophisticated common spaces as well as the children’s bright bedrooms—represents the first time the talented clan has been photographed together as a group.

The Smith home, designed by architect Stephen Samuelson, includes innumerable handcrafted elements to ensure a feeling of intimacy and love in the 25,000-square-foot house. And Will reveals that the idea behind the residence’s fascinating circuitous floor plan was “no dead ends…to create an infinite cycle that represented what Jada and I hoped for our love.”

The design of the home is anchored by “various interpretations of adobe in Persian, Moroccan, Spanish, as well as Southwest American cultures,” says Samuelson. The property has an undeniable spiritual quality, exemplified by Jada’s meditation room. “For Will and me this home was always a spiritual endeavor…we’re very earthy, organic people. We wanted to create a family retreat, something made by hand and as natural as possible, something that ties back to the land,” she explains. “Whatever it becomes, the craftsmanship will always represent our union and the love of our family.”

[From Architectural Digest, received via e-mail]

The slideshow on AD’s website has some more photos that make the house look even more like a luxury retreat, but there aren’t any photos of Willow and Jaden’s bedrooms yet. They’re saving that for the print edition, out August 9th. I’ll be sure to thumb through it the first chance I get. I really want to see those kids’ bedrooms. You know they’re better equipped than an average Chuck E. Cheese.

Will Smith’s estimated net worth is $188 million. He was the fourth highest earner on Forbes’ list of the highest earning actors for 2010, pulling in an estimated $36 million dollars last year alone. That’s not including whatever Jada is making and whatever their kids earn from their acting and singing careers.