Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are one of Hollywood’s greatest love stories, but their relationship got off to a rocky start.
When the 51-year-old actor first became friends with Pinkett Smith, he was already married to Sheree Zampino, leaving him with the realisation that he was unhappy in his marriage.
In a candid discussion on Red Table Talk, joined by his mother-in-law Adrienne Banfield-Jones and daughter Willow Smith, Will recalled “crying uncontrollably” over the realisation during a trip to a restaurant with his then-wife Sheree.
The 48-year-old actress first caught Will’s eye when she auditioned for a role on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air at the age of 19.
Though she wasn’t offered the part, she went on to appear in A Different World, which was filming in a studio nearby.
Jada Pinkett and Will Smith tied the knot back in 1997 (Image: The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)
Will recalled: “I knew that there was something in our energy that would be magic.”
Determined to get to know Jada, Will arranged for a visit to the A Different World set – only to meet his soon-to-be wife Sheree.
Will and Sheree went on to tie the knot in 1992, with their only son, Trey, coming into the world later that year.
Jada first caught Will’s attention on the set of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Image: Getty Images)
However, Will soon became friends with Jada and realised they shared a “really unique, beautiful power” together.
Despite the heartbreaking realisation, he refused to get divorced and remained determined to stay loyal to his wife.
Reminiscing over an ill-fated trip to a restaurant, he recalled having “a realization that I wasn’t with the person I was supposed to be with”.
Will recalled sharing a “beautiful power” with Jada as soon as they met (Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
In a bathroom stall, he started “crying uncontrollably” as his wife sat at the table outside.
Will understood that Jada “was the woman I was supposed to be with, but I was never getting divorced.”
Later, Sheree surprised him by asking for a divorce on Valentine’s Day, leaving him blindsided.
Minutes after signing the divorce papers, Will reached out to Jada and asked her out on a date – and the rest is history.
Saying “I do” in 1997, the lovebirds went on to raise Jaden and Willow Smith together, with the family quickly becoming Hollywood royalty.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
