Will Smith speaks to crowd about ‘tumultuous’ relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith

‘It was brutal and beautiful at the same time,’ actor says

Will Smith has spoken out about his “tumultuous” relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, while speaking to a crowd of fans in Baltimore, Maryland.

The 55-year-old actor took the stage at the Enoch Pratt Free Library on 18 October, as he made an appearance at a press event for his wife’s book, Worthy, alongside their two children – Jaden, 25, and Willow, 22. His recent comments come after Jada made major revelations about their marriage in her memoir, including how she and Will have been separated for seven years.

During the event in Baltimore, Will began by speaking to the crowd about his love and admiration for his partner, who he married in 1997. “I just really wanted to come out and just be here and hold it down for you the way you have held it down for me,” he said during the event, as reported by The Baltimore Sun.

The King Richard star went on to describe the challenges and achievements he’s had throughout his marriage, adding: “We have had a very, very long and tumultuous [relationship]. We call it ‘brutiful.’ It was brutal and beautiful at the same time."

At another point during the event, Will referred to his union with Jada as a “sloppy public experiment in unconditional love,” according to the Baltimore Banner. He went on to explain that he’s “happier than [he’s] ever been in [his] entire life” and praised Jada for continuing to be by his side.

“I have achieved every single thing I have ever wanted in my entire life. There is not one thing left that I desire in this world - all of the awards, all of the money, the family - everything I’ve ever dreamed,” he said. “And those dreams were largely built on the foundation of Jada’s sacrifices. There were many times when Jada put her career aside so I could follow the dreams of mine.”

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star thanked his wife for putting him “before herself” and for maintaining a good relationship with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino. Will and Zampino share a 30-year-old son, Trey Smith, who was also present for the book event at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Speaking to the crowd, Will said that Jada’s positive relationship with Zampino allowed all three of his children the chance to grow up together.

“Can you show up and love somebody for the rest of your life, even when you don’t agree with them?” he asked. “Jada is the best friend I have ever had on this planet and I am going to show up for her and support her for the rest of my life.”

This isn’t the first time that Will has opened up about his relationship, as it’s continued to make headlines. Earlier this week, he appeared to mock the publicity storm surrounding him and Jada in a video titled “Official statement” shared on Instagram. “So, here’s the thing. My opinion is... uh…” the actor said, before sneezing into the crook of his arm. As he sneezed, the video comically zoomed out to show several different landscapes including lakes and mountains.

Prior to sharing the video, Smith showed his support for his partner and her success in a statement toThe New York Times. During the interview, the outlet noted that Smith said his wife’s memoir “kind of woke him up” and that he has now realised she is more “resilient, clever and compassionate than he’d understood”.

“When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life, a sort of emotional blindness sets in, and you can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties,” he added.

In an interview with People published on 10 October, Jada first revealed that she and her husband were living separately. “We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together,” she said. “We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”

However, during an appearance on the Today show on 16 October, Jada clarified to Hoda Kotb that she and the Suicide Squad actor are “working hard” and are “concentrating on healing” to get their relationship to a better place.

“There’s no finding another great love, and I think that’s the point,” she said. “It’s like we are in a place now that we are in a deep, healing space. And we are really concentrating on healing the relationship between us.”

The Girls Trip star continued: “There’s no divorce on paper. We really have been working hard. That’s the whole thing. We are working very hard at bringing our relationship together. Back to a life partnership.”