As if we haven’t heard enough details of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s marriage, the “Men In Black” actor is back with another personal tale about the two’s love life. This time, he is dishing on their brief break-up.
During his sit-down with media icon Oprah Winfrey on Friday, the 53-year-old revealed that he and his “Set It Off” spouse officially called it quits in September 2011 following her 40th birthday party. Will previously spoke on the celebration he spent three years planning, which Jada was not pleased with. The two got into an argument and decided they needed time apart, though he says they never “officially separated.”
“We realized that it was a fantasy illusion that we could make each other happy,” Smith confessed. “We agreed that she had to make herself happy, and I had to make myself happy. Then we were going to present ourselves back to the relationship, already happy versus demanding that the other person fill our empty cup.”
Will also spoke openly about this in his forthcoming memoir, saying that his time alone helped him to understand “the power of loving in freedom.”
When Winfrey asked Will to expound on what it means to love in freedom, the rapper explained that it signifies having a relationship that is not as restrictive as traditional marriages, opting for “friendship versus marital prison.”
Ultimately, he says that he and his wife of 24 years are on a continuous spiritual journey with one another and finding joy without using one another to do so.
