Will Smith And Jada Pinkett Smith Have Been Living 'Completely Separate Lives' Since 2016

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Jada Pinkett Smith has confirmed that she and Will Smith have been separated for about seven years, putting to rest rumors about one of Hollywood's most famous couples.

Pinkett Smith revealed that she and her husband of 26 years are still legally married, but the relationship is "fractured." The actor revealed the news in an interview with NBC News, previews of which were released Wednesday morning.

"Why it fractured — that's a lot of things. By the time we got to 2016 we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both kind of stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be," Pinkett Smith told NBC's Hoda Kotb.

In 2016, the pair made the decision to live what Kotb described as "completely separate lives" that was, in effect, a divorce. Pinkett Smith revealed details about her relationship with her husband in her new memoir, “Worthy." The NBC interview was part of the promotion of the book.

The couple have consistently pushed back against rumors that their relationship was on the rocks in recent years. Pinkett Smith revealed in 2020 she and Smith broke up for a time when she began an “entanglement” with singer August Alsina.

As for the future of Pinkett Smith and Smith, their next move is unclear.

"I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce — we will work through whatever. I just haven't been able to break that promise," Pinkett Smith told NBC News.