Jada Pinkett Smith didn’t keep anything from her and Will Smith’s kids as the couple navigated their marriage — and years of separation.
“I think one of the saving factors was there were no secrets between Will and I,” Pinkett Smith, 52, explained on the Monday, October 16, episode of the “On Purpose With Jay Shetty” podcast, reflecting on her relationship ups and downs. “And there were no secrets between my kids and I.”
The on-off couple, who tied the knot in 1997, share son Jaden, 25, and daughter Willow, 22. Smith also shares son Trey, 30, with ex-wife Sheree Zampino.
“The fact that my family was absolutely aware of the entire journey, it was a saving grace for me,” Pinkett Smith — who revealed earlier this month that she and Smith, 55, have been separated since 2016 — added.
The Girls Trip actress noted that “Will knows he was not betrayed,” referring to her 2020 “entanglement” with August Alsina. “My kids know I did not betray their father. That to me is all that matters,” she said.
Pinkett Smith made headlines in July 2020 after Alsina, 31, claimed he’d been in a romantic relationship with the actress. Although Pinkett Smith denied the claims at the time, she later confirmed they were intimate while she was separated from Smith.
Following the scandal, Pinkett Smith and Smith appeared to be back together and thriving in their relationship. However, Pinkett Smith revealed in her book Worthy, which was released on October 4, and subsequent interviews that the public never saw the real situation.
“Here we are … married, but not,” Pinkett Smith confessed on Monday’s podcast. “We’ve decided to hold space for each other. … There’s been a lot of mixed messaging. At the end of the day, we’re always family. No matter what.”
While the Red Table Talk cohost’s connection to her husband continues to ebb and flow, she revealed that her closeness with her kids hasn’t wavered.
“Trey, he has such an enormous heart. I think what I love about Trey is his ability to meet people. His ability to join me,” Pinkett Smith gushed to Jay Shetty of her stepson. “He has a way of seeing the best. Even in his most challenging times … having the willingness to see the person’s spirit versus personality.”
She added: “He and I have kind of been walking parallel. We’re the two in the family that’s really been on an intense walk, spiritually. He’s just such a light. He can just see me.”
Pinkett Smith continued by singing her son Jaden’s praises, calling him “walking joy.” She noted that the Life in a Year actor “has the capacity to love everything. That’s a God given gift.”
When it comes to her daughter, Pinkett Smith sees parts of herself. “Willow, she’s such a fireball. She is like the mirror of the fire of my soul,” she said. “What I love most about Willow is she’s to the point. She doesn’t have a whole lot of play-play. She just hits it on the mark. I also love how she loves me.”
