Despite revealing that she and Will had been separated for seven years, Jada says divorce will never be an option for the couple.
Jada Pinkett Smith says that the Academy Awards slap seen around the world saved her marriage to Will Smith.
"I nearly didn't even attend the Oscars that year, but I'm glad I did," the 52-year-old author confessed in an interview with You Magazine. "I call it the 'holy slap' now because so many positive things came after it."
While many in the entertainment industry saw the incident in which Will slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards after the comedian made a joke about Jada's shaved head as both a scandal and fodder for comedic stand-ups, the moment marked a turning point for the couple's long-standing marriage.
Will and Jada tied the knot in 1997. In her recently released memoir, Worthy, Jada shocked the world when she revealed that in 2016, she and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star privately decided to separate.
The Set It Off actress revealed that following the night -- which happened amid their years-long private separation -- she was once again Will's wife.
"That moment of the s**t hitting the fan is when you see where you really are," she tells the outlet. "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?"
While Jada is adamant about not speaking for Will regarding his mindset behind the slap, she explains that the incident helped solidify her perspective on their relationship after a tumultuous period of uncertainty. "We've been together 30 years so, even if someone new came along, neither of us is going anywhere. We are a family that needs to look out for one another and always will be. Sometimes it takes a crisis for you to see that," she says.
She also revealed that she and the Will author are planning on writing a book together. "Will and I plan [to write] a book together called Don't Try This at Home," Jada quipped. "He has been on a journey. I have been on a journey. We want to write something where he puts the male side, I put the woman's side and then these universal issues are resolved."
The proof of the couple's individual healing is in the pudding. The pair's bond seems stronger than ever in the public eye. Will took to social media to share photos from the family's Thanksgiving celebration, which included the Bad Boys star planting a kiss on Jada's forehead as she had her arm wrapped around his waist.
And at a book launch event in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, Will made a surprise appearance at the Enoch Pratt Free Library for a conversation about her memoir. Following the discussion, Will took the stage and showered Jada with praise.
"I just really wanted to come out and just be here and hold it down for you the way you have held it down for me," Will told her, as he gave her a sweet embrace, according to The Baltimore Banner. "We have had a very, very long and tumultuous [relationship]. We call it 'brutiful'" -- a combination of brutal and beautiful.
Will broke his silence on his wife's revelations in an email to The New York Times.
"When you've been with someone for more than half of your life, a sort of emotional blindness sets in," he wrote. "You can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties."
Then, on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, the host read Jada a letter that Will wrote to her after reading Worthy.
"I just turned the final page of Worthy. It is amazing to realize that despite having lived most of my life by your side, I still found myself shocked and stunned and caught off guard, laughing, then inspired, then heartbroken I was all over the place," he wrote. "It's one thing to hear anecdotes at a family barbecue, but it was truly overwhelming to take in your story, potently condensed in this way."
"You are one of one, a rare blend of power and delicate sensitivity. I know it wasn't easy to excavate the depths in that way. I applaud and honor you," he continued. "If I had read this book 30 years ago, I definitely would have hugged you more. I'll start now. Welcome to the Authors Club. I love you endlessly. Now go get some Merlot and take a rest."
Jada responded to her husband's suggestion, saying, "He knows I can't have no Merlot. That's beautiful. That's why I can't divorce that joker."
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