Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s relationship has received renewed attention after the King Richard actor appeared to 'slap' comedian Chris Rock at the 94th annual Oscars ceremony.
Watch the shocking footage below:
Chris took to the stage to present the award for Best Documentary Feature. During his speech, he joked about Jada’s appearance by comparing her to the character G.I. Jane, who is bald.
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Things took a dramatic turn when Will confronted Chris onstage.
The Smiths are one of Hollywood’s most elite couple and they’ve been together for 28 years. But where and when did it all begin?
1994: Will and Jada meet for the first time
The pair’s love story actually begins thanks to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air when Jada auditioned for the role of Will’s girlfriend.
Unfortunately, she didn’t get the part and it ultimately went to Nia Long. Will explained the casting decision in his 2021 memoir, Will. “Apparently, the casting agent had just told her she wasn’t tall enough to play my girlfriend on the show.
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"She hated that about Hollywood — that somehow her height (or lack thereof) was of more vital importance to the art than her abundant talents. Oblivious to all of this, I stepped into the river.”
Will was still married to his first wife, Sheree Zampino, with whom he shares son Trey, when he met Jada. He discussed the end of his marriage and the start of his relationship with Jada in a 2018 episode of Jada’s Facebook talk show Red Table Talk. “I had a realisation I wasn’t with the person I was supposed to be with," he said.
“I was sitting in a [bathroom] stall and I was crying and laughing uncontrollably, and I knew [Jada] was the woman I was supposed to be with.”
Will and Sheree finalised their divorce in 1995, leading to the official start of the Smiths' love story.
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1997: Will and Jada get married
Will proposed to the Nutty Professor actress in November 1997 and they tied the knot the following month.
Jada was three months pregnant when they got married on New Year’s Eve. “One day we got engaged, and the next day we found out we were pregnant,” Jada told People in 1998.
There are very few pictures from the wedding because it was an extremely private ceremony. It took place at a hotel in Jada’s hometown city of Baltimore and she wore a champagne-coloured dress made from velvet.
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In August 2012, Jada shared a sweet snap from the ceremony on Twitter.
In 2018, Jada opened up even more about her feelings about how she felt on the day. “I was so upset that I had to have a wedding," she recounted on Red Table Talk. "I was so pi**ed. I went crying down the freakin' aisle getting married."
Jada also said her mum encouraged her to get married, she admitted to People in 2019: “I never wanted to get married. But my mother was like, ‘You have to get married’ – she’s so old school – and Will wanted a family. So I said, ‘All right, maybe it’s something I should do."
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1998: Will and Jada have their first child together
Jada gave birth to the couple’s first child together, and Will’s second son, Jaden Smith, in July 1998.
Jaden has gone on to have a successful career in film, television and music and appeared alongside his dad in the critically acclaimed drama The Pursuit of Happyness in 2006, for which Will was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 2007 Oscars.
2000: Will and Jada welcome their second child together
Fast forward to 2000 and the couple welcomed their daughter Willow Smith in October.
Willow kicked off her music career when she was nine years old with the release of 'Whip My Hair', which peaked at number two on the UK singles chart in 2010.
2011: Rumours about Will and Jada’s marriage spread
The year marked what would be a turning point for the public perception of the Smiths. Jada’s rep had to deny rumours that the couple were splitting in a statement to People. magazine. A tabloid also reported that Jada and singer Marc Anthony were hooking up.
“All the rumors regarding Marc Anthony and Jada are false. Completely untrue. As for [the reports of a split between] Will and Jada, I’m not commenting on their personal life,” Jada’s rep, Karynne Tencer, told People.
2013: Jada responds to rumours about an open marriage
Jada responded to speculation claiming that the couple had an open relationship. Posting on Facebook, the actress said: “Here is how I will change my statement...Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship...this means we have a GROWN one.”
2015: Will confirms the couple are not getting divorced
As divorce rumours continue to swarm the Smiths, Will posted a message on Facebook to confirm the couple were not splitting. “Under normal circumstances, I don’t usually respond to foolishness. But, so many people have extended [to] me their ‘deepest condolences’ that I figured – ‘What the hell… I can be foolish, too!
“So, in the interest of redundant, repetitious, over and over-again-ness… Jada and I are… NOT GETTING A DIVORCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
2018: Will reveals the couple do not call themselves ‘married’
During an interview with the Tidal podcast Rap Radar, Will said he and Jada have a different term for their relationship. “We don’t even say we’re married anymore," he revealed. "We refer to ourselves as life partners, where you get into that space where you realise you are literally with somebody for the rest of your life.”
2020: Jada confirms ‘entanglement’ with August Alsina
R&B singer August Alsina claimed he and Jada dated, with Will’s blessing, while she was still married.
August first met Jada in 2015, at Jaden and Willow’s concert in London, according to an interview August did with People.
As she helped August heal from an addiction to painkillers, their relationship turned romantic.
In June, during an interview with radio host Angela Yee on YouTube, August said he “truly and really, really, deeply loved” Jada.
"I totally gave myself to that relationship for years of my life," he said. "I devoted myself to it, I gave my full self to it — so much so to the point that I can die right now and be okay with knowing that I truly gave myself to somebody."
Jada’s reps called August’s claims "absolutely untrue”. However, two weeks later, Jada and Will appeared on Red Table Talk in which Jada confirmed her "entanglement" with August, saying that she and Will were separated at the time.
“We decided that we were going to separate for a period of time and you go figure out how to make yourself happy and I’ll figure out how to make myself happy.
“From there, as time went on, I got into a different kind of entanglement with August...Yes, it was a relationship absolutely.”
2021: Will releases his memoir
Several shocking revelations are revealed in Will’s self-titled memoir. He says the couple decided to split after Jada criticised a birthday party he planned for her in 2011.
"Jada seemed to be enjoying herself, but she was quiet — I couldn't get a good read. But it didn't matter because I knew the documentary would be a hands-down grand small emotional home run,” he shared about his plans for a documentary about his wife for her birthday.
Jada called the documentary the “most disgusting display of ego”.
Will reflected: “Our marriage wasn't working. We could not longer pretend. We were both miserable, and clearly something had to change."
The Bad Boys star said his mind “was tortured” by Jada’s connection to the late rapper Tupac, who was murdered in 1996.
Will also explained how the couple’s relationship changed for the better following turmoil.
"We agreed that Jada's happiness had to be her responsibility and my happiness had to be my responsibility.
"We were going to seek our distinct, innermost personal joys, and then we were going to return and present ourselves to the relationship and to each other already happy — not coming to each other begging with empty cups, demanding the other person fulfil our needs.”
2022: Will and Jada become the focus of awards show jokes
Prior to Will’s outburst at the 2022 Oscars, the couple’s marriage is ridiculed by BAFTAs host Rebel Wilson.
Watch the awkward moment below:
Although Will and Jada were absent from the event - attending the Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles on the same night.
Will responded to rumours about infidelity in their marriage on CBS Sunday Morning after the ceremony.
He told Gayle King that there had "never been infidelity" in his marriage.
He added: "Jada and I talk about everything. We have never surprised one another with anything ever."
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: TV And Film, Will Smith, Celebrity, Oscars