Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith cozy up on rare date night a year after revealing secret separation
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were spotted on a rare date night in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, November 7, marking their first public outing together since May.
The couple, whose marriage has been in the spotlight for years, shared a close moment at a restaurant, wrapping their arms around each other just over a year after revealing their secret separation.
Jada and Will Smith step out in style for dinner date
Jada Pinkett Smith, 52, looked effortlessly stylish in a gold jacket and jeans, while Will Smith, 56, dressed more casually in a gray jacket, white T-shirt, and slacks, as per Daily Mail.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett cozy up on rare date night in first joint sighting in 6 MONTHS amid split drama https://t.co/LlDX6rcfjH
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) November 8, 2024
The two appeared to be in good spirits as they warmly greeted life coach and former monk Jay Shetty, who joined them for dinner.
The last time Will and Jada were seen together publicly was at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Bad Boys: Ride Or Die' at the TCL Chinese Theatre in May.
The event was a family affair, as their children Willow Smith, 24, and Jaden Smith, 26, and Will's oldest son, Trey Smith, 31, from his previous marriage to Sheree Zampino, were present to support the actor.
Jada's mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, 70, was also there, posing with the family on the red carpet.
Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith secretly separated in 2016
The couple’s relationship status has been a topic of intrigue since October 2023, when Jada Pinkett Smith shared with Hoda Kotb that she and Will Smith had chosen to separate seven years ago during her appearance on the 'TODAY' show.
Reflecting on the decision, Jada stated that they felt "exhausted with trying" to make the marriage work. "I think we were both still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be," said the mother of two.
In her 2023 memoir, 'Worthy', Jada describes the separation as a "divorce," although no official paperwork was ever filed. "It was not a divorce on paper. But it was a divorce," explained the 'Set It Off' star.
Jada also admitted she considered a legal divorce but ultimately could not bring herself to do it, revealing, "I made a promise to [Will] that I would never give him a reason to get divorced."
Jada Pinkett Smith on her bond with Will Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith further shared, "We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together," adding that they are "still figuring it out" but are committed to discovering what their bond will look like moving forward.
"We just got deep love for each other," noted the 53-year-old.
Their marriage faced intense public scrutiny in 2020 after August Alsina claimed to have had a relationship with Jada during an interview with Angela Yee on YouTube.
Jada later opened up about the "entanglement" to Will during an episode of her show 'Red Table Talk'. She revealed that the affair took place years ago, while she and Will were separated.
The situation regained public interest in 2022 when Will controversially slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars after the comedian made a joke about Jada's shaved head.
Speaking to YOU Magazine, Jada reflected on that incident, saying, "After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him. Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?"
