They’ve been subjected to a slew of ridiculous rumours about their relationship (see: August Alsina casually revealing that he dated Jada while she was married). But, while all of that was extremely!!!!, it wasn’t the first time Will and Jada had to deal with the internet flipping TF about their marriage. They’ve been debunking rumours for decades, from claims of an open relationship and swingers to completely false whispers that Jada cheated on Will with Marc Anthony. However, the truth is far more complicated than a bunch of online drama. It’s time to dispel the rumours with a handy (and slightly thirsty) timeline, beginning with how Will and Jada met and fell in love.
Circa 1994:
Will met Jada on the set of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but at the time he was married to Sheree Zampino. Will called Jada after he and Sheree split up and asked if she was seeing anyone. “Cool,” he said when she said no. You can see me now.” The rest, as they say, is history!
New Year’s Eve 1997:
Jada and Will married while she was pregnant with their son, Jaden, though Jada was initially opposed to making their relationship “official” on paper. In a People cover story in 2019, she said: “I never wanted to get married. But my mother was like, ‘You have to get married’—she’s so old-school—and Will wanted a family. So I said, ‘Alright, maybe it’s something I should do.’”
August 23, 2011:
The couple issued a statement to People in response to rumours that Jada was dating Marc Anthony. BEHOLD:
“Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”
Meanwhile, Jada’s rep said “All the rumors regarding Marc Anthony and Jada are false. Completely untrue. As for [the reports of a split between] Will and Jada, I’m not commenting on their personal life.”
August 14, 2013:
Otherwise known as the fateful day Jada took to Facebook to clarify comments that led everyone to believe she and Will were in an open marriage (basically, she said Will could “do whatever he wants”): “Here is how I will change my statement…Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship…this means we have a GROWN one.”
February 27, 2022:
At the 2022 SAG Awards, E! red carpet host Laverne Cox took a moment to speak with the couple and mentioned that she was thankful “for all the years of joy you’ve brought us. “We can’t wait for more Red Table Talk and ‘entanglements,'” Jada replied, laughing, “No more of those!”
March 13, 2022:
Will Smith was interviewed by Gayle King on CBS Sunday Morning and denied that he and Jada had ever accused each other of cheating. “Never. In our marriage, there has never been infidelity…. And we’ve never surprised each other with anything…. I’ve decided that talking about my life can be beneficial to others. I believe that chatter is the first step towards having a real conversation and truly exploring whether some of the things in your heart are loving or poisonous.”
