Jada Pinkett Smith is still hawking her memoir, Worthy. She recently chatted with the Daily Mail’s You Magazine about the book and, as always, the 2022 Oscar Slap. Real talk: while I think Jada would have always written her memoir, I think the Oscar Slap ended up reintroducing Jada to multiple audiences, and she decided to push forward with the memoir immediately after that. In this interview, she talks about how the slap saved her marriage and of course the Mail also name-checks Prince Harry. Some highlights:
The Oscar Slap helped her marriage: ‘I nearly didn’t even attend the Oscars that year, but I’m glad I did. I call it the “holy slap” now because so many positive things came after it. That moment of the s*** hitting the fan is when you see where you really are. After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him. Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?’
Psychedelics saved her life: In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry described taking ‘psychedelics’ and in an interview said they were ‘fundamental’ to helping him deal with ‘the traumas of the past’. The Smith family home is an hour away from Harry and Meghan’s in Montecito. Are they the friends she does it with? ‘No, but I didn’t know they did that. Good for them!’ To be fair, there is no suggestion Meghan has tried them.
On Britney Spears’ memoir: ‘I think Britney’s story and my story speak to people because women want to define themselves on their own terms, not just in relation to men. Why do you think I bought myself a “woman cave”? Every woman needs a woman cave!’
How her kids reacted to her buying a separate home: ‘They knew I needed it. And besides, they are adults now. They know where to find me. They all have their own keys – even Will.’
Whether fame & money are awful: ‘They’re not awful but our perceptions of what they can deliver are unrealistic. I mean, kale can be disastrous if it’s all you eat, but it’s also good stuff. We just need to amend what wealth and celebrity mean for the soul.’
While I could take or leave Jada for the most part, the most I’ve ever liked her is when she’s talking about how much she loves living alone, in her own space, which she decorated herself. She sounds so happy now that she’s gotten physical distance from Will and it ended up strengthening their marriage in some way. As for the Oscar Slap making her realize that she’s ride-or-die for Will… I mean, I get why she feels that way, even if it’s perfectly clear that they really should divorce. It’s none of my business – except Jada is trying to make it our business – but I genuinely think Jada and Will would probably be happier if they just divorced.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Jada Pinkett Smith during the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673515385, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Oscar® nominee Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith during the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673515422, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith during the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673515557, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – NOVEMBER 30: Trey Smith, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Apple Original Films’ ‘Emancipation’ held at Regency Village Theatre on November 30, 2022 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 741565840, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Trey Smith, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – NOVEMBER 30: American actor Will Smith and wife/American actress Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Apple Original Films’ ‘Emancipation’ held at Regency Village Theatre on November 30, 2022 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 741566044, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – NOVEMBER 30: American actor Will Smith and wife/American actress Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Apple Original Films’ ‘Emancipation’ held at Regency Village Theatre on November 30, 2022 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 741566077, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 30: (L-R) Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attend Apple Original Films’ “Emancipation” Los Angeles premiere at Regency Village Theatre on November 30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 741616785, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 30: Jada Pinkett Smith attends Apple Original Films’ “Emancipation” Los Angeles premiere at Regency Village Theatre on November 30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 741617442, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jada Pinkett Smith, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
Jada, please stop. Literally no one cares.
Agreed. I didn’t really have an opinion on her one way or the other before this memoir and now I just don’t want to hear from her at all – ever – period. She seems to be an insufferable know-it-all much like Gwyneth.
Yes!
Came here to say that…..No one cares anymore! Just go away, Jada, please!
I’m sorry but I don’t understand how this is a marriage. I’m old school I love my husband and would never think of living apart from him. Sure a few days away with friends is nice but I just don’t call what she has a marriage. It’s like some sort of weird contract that I will appear with you for certain things but not living with you.
There have been other couples who have happily lived apart but maintained a relationship. With all that she (and to a smaller extent, he) have overshared with the world, it feels like he wants to be together and she uses that to do whatever she wants and refuses to just let him move on. But that’s on him, too. If they like this set-up, it’s their business.
What smaller extent for Will?? He was the one who wrote a memoir first and talked about their open relationship.
I feel the same way. they live separately and have both slept with/are sleeping with other people. at this point I wouldn’t say they’re really in a marriage. it’s hard to understand the “I’ll never leave Will” mindset when she did… she moved out!
I think they would be better off just being friends with occasional benefits than still trying to say they’re in a marriage, but that’s me. neither of them seem to know what they want.
normally I’d say it’s not my business but they keep making it our business, so I feel like we can comment our thoughts on it.
I don’t get it either, why can’t they just split, have other relationships, and remain friends/co-parents? It’s not like if they divorce they can’t ever speak to each other again.
I too wish they’d stop talking about it all so publicly too.
My partner and I have been in a relationship for almost a decade but never moved in together for family etc. reasons.
We are now starting to discuss it, but I feel like I want to keep my own space. It’s decorated how I like. My stuff is in the spaces that I need. So I get that. I am an introvert though and the quiet of my house helps me recharge.
Same. I’ve been involved with someone for 15ish years. At times we’ve lived in the same city, others been long distance, we travel well together but for various reasons never actually lived together, aside from a couple short stints waiting for homes to be ready when we’ve been in the same city. I have another friend who has been with her significant other for 30+ years at this point and they’ve never lived together. In both our situations, it just works. Sharing space came up at various point in the first few years, but being a little older, liking our stuff/space, it just was not a priority and does not mean we are less committed, supportive, etc.
My spouse and I do live together but only share a bedroom when we travel. We have very different sleep routines, sometimes different schedules, and we’ve both created and cultivated spaces, furnished and decorated, that help calm, center, and refresh us.
We don’t have TVs in our room or do much other than sleep, dress, recover from illness, and sometimes read in our bedrooms, so we still do all of our couple things together. The other is welcome in the room, has full access to it (to put laundry away, to come in and chat, whatever) so they aren’t private…they are just…separate.
The physical relationship stuff is not an issue and never has been…things happen organically and no one is kicking anyone else out on a timeline. It’s all been fine.
So I get it. I don’t get other aspects of their marriage, but I get this part.
So Jada is always a test for me of whether I need to check myself. I have never been a fan, all the way back to her “A Different World” days, but I try not to be part of the “pipe down” posse since there has to be an audience for what she’s saying, right? And if I believe that Meghan deserves a voice and I hedge when people tell her to shut up, so I am trying to keep that same energy for Jada.
All that said, they really seem so much happier apart than together.
Thanks MrsCope for so eloquently articulating how I feel as well. If we want women to have a voice then we can’t pick and choose who that applies too. Or do we only want women to have a voice up to a certain point and only on certain issues/topics? If anyone is talking about something that I’m not interested in then I just scroll by, as you said there’s an audience for what she’s saying and while it might not be me, who am I to tell her to “pipe down”?
Same. I do think that it’s interesting that most people get annoyed since they don’t think it’s a marriage. I don’t know if I could be doing all this, but they do, and it works. And look, Jada doesn’t want to divorce Will and he doesn’t want to divorce her. It sounds like two people who got married young and she didn’t have her voice yet. Her piece about living in her own home that she decorated and could enjoyed spoke volumes to me.
MrsCope you just won the Internet with this take. If we tell women who we don’t like or don’t agree with to pipe down, we’re really just acting as gatekeepers and doing a disservice to other women for whom her alternative marital arrangement may be a viable option for many, many reasons that are private to them. She clearly said that she realized she didn’t want to leave Will, but still likes having her own space. It’s not for outsiders to decide that it’s not a “real marriage” if they are satisfied with their arrangement.
There were pictures of Will with another woman that had a resemblance to Jada. This may just be a message to his lady friends. She isn’t going anywhere. If there ever is a divorce. It will have to be Will filing. Jada will just give endless interviews about their unconventional lifestyle.
I remember her saying at least 10 years ago that they agreed upon marrying that there will never be a divorce and even if they will have to live in different ends of the house, they will remain married. if it works for them, I really don`t care. Their business interests and all that is probably so intertwined by now that even staying married for money will work better than divorcing.
As for Jada saying things nobody wants to hear – I am generally not interested in their drama because neither of them are perfect people. Just wanted to put my two cents in concerning them never divorcing.
Agree, but again it was Jada the one saying it. I don’t really follow them. But I never read or heard Will say he will never divorce.
I am just sayin’ if there ever is a divorce. It will have to be Will to pull the trigger and file.
And plenty of mega rich people divorce, it’s not that hard with great lawyers and forensic accountants.
Personally, I think their marriage has settled into two best friends who may or may not have a dead bedroom. And have other interests romantically on the side. But not enough to need a divorce.
Before the slap, after the slap, whatever, Jada is still with Will.
I don’t follow her, except to read excerpts here, so I’m probably taking things out of context. But it seems that she talks about Will like he’s some kind of burden that she can’t abandon – like a problem child or a cat that won’t stop pooping outside his litter box.
Girl, you can just be friends with him and still divorce. Like I’m not sure what the point of stringing this along is. Like, up to you, but…
Divorcing him will lose her a LOT of status. Now, when he is an Oscar winner, she´ll never let that go.
Sorry, but to my old eyes this looks less like he’s a man she loves and wants to “keep” and more like a victim she will not let escape. They do not have a marriage, they have some sort of twisted contract. I said what I said.
It’s interesting because these days, there are so many alternative ways to live that we are all seeing bits and pieces of due largely to social media.
I’m not interested in trying a lot of these options for ME, but genuinely have an open mind and rather applaud anyone that goes down a path less traveled if that is what works for them.
But what I think sticks out with the Smiths is that their set up seems so hard to understand. If I see a happy throuple cohabitating, I might think “nah, that’s not for me”, but generally I can sort of understand what they are getting out of it. And as long as they are happy? Good for them.
But I think a lot of us just can’t wrap our heads around Jada and Will. It’s really hard to understand what they are doing and what they are getting out of it. Normally, I’d say it’s none of our business, but as others said, they talk about it so it’s only natural for us to all be curious and speculate. They are married but they live apart and sleep with others. Then we see interactions like when they spoke together about her “entanglements” and they didn’t seem to both be ok and cool with that. So it is just confusing.
I “get” open marriages, I “get” living apart but when we see them, they often seem unhappy and if they are unhappy, living apart and sleeping with others, I can’t help but wonder “why bother being married?”
Maybe they aren’t actually romantically involved? They could have sort of morphed into being “just” family. They keep their business/finances together, they still support each other emotionally, they do holidays and events together… but they aren’t romantically a couple? That is a little “odd” but I can see how that could be something that would work for some people.
I agree with you and @MrsCope above. I also think that many couples have had their own arrangements and non-traditional ways of being a family. So while not a super fan, I think she’s helping the discussions happen and perhaps families that hang in ways that seem unusual. I love what she said about celebrity and the soul too. I guess anytime any of us getting stuck pursuing one goal as the path to answering all our needs can forget there’s no one answer. Being prepared and resilient to that is a good thing. That being a celebrity, rich, a certain degree, a certain person or job, to name some common goals we think will answer all our problems, including some of my mistakes.
I will never know what she and Will are really like. But, I judge them on their Scientology school, on how their privileged kids sound so arrogant/pretentious and utterly clueless/ignorant at the same time, their creepy marriage, and Will’s anger management issue.
I’m glad this story got posted because I was curious what others think about her statements. Unless it’s really missing context, she sounds very narcissistic to me – talking about how the slap had a good outcome for her, now she knows she’s going to stay with Will etc. No mention of the rest of the world getting dragged into that slap, and all of us having to process it too for ourselves, good or bad. I’m not a Chris Rock fan and I was originally sympathetic to Jada but marriage shouldn’t be a public performance. Not like this.
Jada and Will cause discomfort to people stuck on their version of what a normal to them marriage looks like. Sure she’s getting mileage for an incident that occurred a while ago but as a talk show host which is her job now she’s talking about it. Flying in the face of established norms is congratulated and celebrated as bravery when white women do it, why is it when a woc acts the same she is subjected to ageist bias on top of already being subjected to racism and sexism.
Is this one still talking?????
Silly as it is, the thing about The Slap that annoyed me (other than Chris Rock humiliating a woman professionally and then getting to act like he was the victim) was that we didn’t get to ooh and aah over how fantastic Jada looked in that dress. I still LOVE that dress!