The celebrity world is full of couples, but in most cases, these couples break up within the blink of an eye. Of course, we don’t blame them! It can’t be easy to be with someone while the whole world watches on with cameras and a critical eye, and only a select few celebrity couples have been able to stand the test of time. One of those couples is Will and Jada Smith. They seem to have cracked the Hollywood marriage code, but have you ever wondered what their secret is? Well, it seems as though there’s more than one secret to their successful marriage…
A Famous Family
Although the world is full of famous families, there’s no doubt about the fact that the Smith family have taken Hollywood by storm. Will, Jada, Jaden, Willow, and Trey have all made names for themselves over the years, even though we are insanely jealous of their talent – because who is that perfect?! They are singers, actors, activists, and more importantly, they are family. Yep, they’re pretty cute.
Relationship Goals
While it may seem as though the younger generation of Smiths are quickly taking over their parents’ fame, there’s no doubt about the fact that Will and Jada are still pretty awesome. In fact, they are often regarded as #RelationshipGoals, because they have been together for so long! They’ve spent over two decades together as husband and wife, and many people believe that they are the epitome of perfection.
Not Just Plain Sailing
However, it’s important to remember that we only see a small portion of their relationship. Over the years, the couple has noted that their love and their marriage hasn’t always been plain sailing and that they have had to work for what they have. Thankfully, Jada and Will aren’t the kinds of people to keep their relationship top tips a secret, and they have been open and honest about their struggles.
In The Beginning
In fact, Will and Jada’s relationship didn’t exactly start on the most perfect of terms, either. They first laid eyes on each other in 1994, when Jada decided to audition to play the role of Will’s girlfriend on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Unfortunately, Jada’s life wasn’t immediately turned and flipped upside down because she was told that she was too short to take on the role.
Winning Something Else
Despite the fact that Jada wasn’t successful in her audition, it seems as though she did catch the eye of the leading man. Will was immediately struck by the actress in front of him, but things were a little complicated, considering he was still married with a child at the time. Yes, Will was even still technically married to his first wife, Sheree Zampino, when the actor and Jada started officially dating!
Regretting Her Decision
At the time, Will and Sheree were going through the motions of their divorce, but that didn’t stop Will and his new love from moving forward with their relationship. During an interview for her Facebook talk show series, Red Table Talk, Jada Smith confessed to Sheree that she regretted her decision to do such a thing. She noted that she “did not understand marriage,” and didn’t think about Sheree or her son in that situation.
Popping The Question
The start of their relationship wasn’t quite the fairytale that most people think it was, but there was no doubt about the fact that their love was real. By the time 1996 came along, Will knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the woman in front of him. He made her happier than he could have ever imagined, so he decided to pop the question.
The Big News
However, Will wasn’t the only thing that was popping something in their relationship. Just a short while after they got engaged, the couple discovered that they were pregnant with their son. Although Will already had a son from his previous relationship, the big news meant so much to the couple. They couldn’t wait to start a new chapter in their lives, but Will and her mother knew that something had to happen first…
Pushing Her Forward
If you’re a fan of Will Smith, you’ll probably know that he’s one of the most untraditional traditionalists in the world. While he likes to push boundaries and question conventions, he also stands by the ideal of a normal family unit. Jada’s mother was also the same, and so she was forced from both sides of her family to marry her fiancé before welcoming little Jaden into the world. Of course, this didn’t end well…
An Awful Wedding
Jada didn’t want to get married at the time, but she felt as though she had to. The actress wanted to please Will, and she wanted to please her mother, but she didn’t enjoy her awful wedding. She cried herself down the aisle, she felt sick, and she didn’t feel comfortable wearing her wedding dress, considering she was three months pregnant. Nevertheless, they became husband and wife on New Year’s Eve, 1997.
Expanding Their Family
After becoming Mr. and Mrs. Smith – no, not like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – the couple welcomed their son into their world. They were over the moon to expand their family, and they couldn’t wait to bring him up in a household that loved and cared for him. However, the couple got a bit of a surprise when they realized that they were expecting their second child, just a few months after Jaden was born.
Raising Their Children
The couple have always been open about how they raise their children. They have always allowed their kids to explore who they are as individuals and allowed them to be who they want to be. They wanted to make sure that their children were exploring their creativity and spirituality. There’s no doubt about the fact that they have done just that. Because of this, many people see the Smiths as perfect parents.
Trouble In Paradise
While there was no doubt about the fact that Jaden and Willow were being brought up in a loving and rather eccentric home, the same couldn’t be said about Will and Jada. In 2004, rumors began to swirl that there was trouble in paradise. Tabloids and newspapers began to suggest that the couple were close to breaking up. Upset by the rumors, Will confirmed that there weren’t struggling in any shape or form.
An Open Marriage
Despite the fact that Will and Jada put on a united front to squash any rumors of a split, that didn’t stop rumors making the rounds about their relationship as a whole. Will and Jada made no secret of the fact that they weren’t living conventional lives, and many people began to suggest that they had an open marriage. This rumor came after Smith admitted he was attracted to Eva Mendes while filming Hitch.
Not Denying It
What was so strange about this rumor was that Will and Jada didn’t deny it. Instead, Will spoke to The Daily Mail in 2005 to clear things up and make things a little more complicated at the same time. He noted that they both live by a rule in their everyday life and their marriage that “You don’t avoid what’s natural.” He confessed that everyone is always going to be attracted to other people.
Addressing The Rumors
In 2013, Jada spoke during a Facebook Live video through Huffington Post about their supposed open marriage. She spoke about the fact that she cannot decide what her husband can or can’t do. Jada noted that “Will is his own man,” and that she has always told him that he can do what he wants as long as he can look himself in the mirror and be okay with his actions.
A Grown Relationship
This video sparked controversy with fans across the globe, as many people believed that this was Jada’s way of saying that her husband dates other people. However, Jada later moved to her own Facebook account to clarify a few things. She noted that they are both allowed to do whatever they want because they trust each other. She wrote that this was an example of their “grown” relationship.
Not Going Away
Over the course of their marriage, Will and Jada Smith have been faced with cheating rumors and speculation surrounding a split almost every single year. Nevertheless, they have never shown any signs of this ever happening, and they have never parted ways. In fact, it seems as though this family is becoming more and more open about their relationship and how they maintain their love after such a long time.
A Losing Battle
After all, they have done extremely well to last over two decades in the limelight! Celebrity relationships often fall at the first hurdle, and marriages often come to an end just a short while after they exchange their vows. That’s because a celebrity marriage isn’t like a normal marriage, because normal marriages aren’t followed by paparazzi and criticized by millions across the globe. So, what’s their secret to success?
The Spice Of Life
Well, it seems as though there are various different secrets to their success. With variety being the spice of life, these two have made their way through tough times and been able to come out the other side. They have been able to see what does and doesn’t work in their marriage, and they have been able to create a loving and long-lasting partnership that’s perfect for everyone involved.
All About Communication
During a Red Table Talk episode involving Jada and Will, the couple opened up about the communication within their marriage. Will recalled an incident towards the beginning of their relationship where Jada had shouted and cursed at him in front of friends and family at a party. This culminated in a rather dramatic and cruel argument that affected them for days. It was this incident that made them realize that communication is key.
Talking It Out
After their heated argument, the couple realized that they would not get anywhere or make any progress with raised voices. So, from that moment on, they decided that they would never try to make any decisions or try to sort anything out while they were angry. Since then, they have always taken time away from each other to cool down and compose themselves before coming back together and talking it out.
Removing The Option
After a whole decade together, Will Smith was invited to talk on The Ellen Degeneres Show. It was within this interview that he spoke about his relationship and his marriage to Jada. He confessed that one of the main reasons they have been able to last so long is because “Divorce just can’t be an option.” Because of this, they have to work things out, and they have to right their wrongs.
Not Husband And Wife
In fact, Will and Jada feel like their relationship has moved beyond husband and wife. While speaking on the Rap Radar podcast in 2018, Will Smith revealed the fact that they refer to themselves as life partners rather than husband and wife. That’s because they have realized that they will be together for the rest of their lives and that there would be no “deal-breaker” that would tear them away from each other.
Finding Their Own Way
In a world full of couples, and in a world where all eyes are on them, celebrity couples can sometimes follow the crowd. They see how other people love each other, and they embody that in their own relationship. However, Will and Jada Smith don’t believe that works for them. They have worked hard over the years to create a relationship where they are completely unique, and their love is perfect for them.
A Pure Love
In 2018, Jada spoke to TODAY about this unique partnership. She confessed that she has learned to love her husband in a way that works for her, but also allows him to be exactly who he wants to be. She has been on her own personal journey to become her own true self, and has uncovered a way to “love him in the most pure way,” and that he has done the same.
Relying On Each Other
Of course, Will and Jada do rely on each other for emotional support and the general love and care that your life partner can bring you. However, both of them have made it very clear that they don’t allow their marriage to define who they are as individual people. They have both realized that they need to be happy in themselves before they can be happy as a couple, and now they are.
A Hard Task
Although it may seem as though Will and Jada find a way to put a positive spin on their relationship, that’s not always the case. While they appreciate the fact that people look up to their marriage in terms of their independence and their communication, Jada has confessed that a marriage takes work. It’s not something that happens overnight and not something that’s easy to build or maintain.
Dealing With Stuff
In fact, the most important lesson that Jada has ever learned came from the struggles within her marriage. She told PeopleTV, “Marriage is the hardest thing you’ll ever do.” That’s because she relied on Will to make her happy and to solve all of her issues. It was only when she realized that it wasn’t his job to fix her that she could finally enjoy their marriage and their love.
Not Quitters
Over the course of their relationship, Will and Jada Smith have proved many doubters wrong. While they have gone through trials and tribulations, they have never given up on the love that they share together. They have noted that it’s so easy to simply give up and give in to the tough times. However, by sticking by each other and pushing through the pain, they have been able to come out the other side.
Yin And Yang
Many people look at Will and Jada Smith and criticize their relationship. They believe that the couple isn’t compatible, that their openness is welcoming infidelity, and that their eccentric children are the result of bad parenting. While the couple has noted that these comments do upset them, they also know in themselves that what they do works for them. In fact, Jada has noted that she and Will are like yin and yang.
Grounding Him
During an interview with Shape magazine in 2009, Jada perfectly summed up their relationship. She noted that the couple was the complete opposites and that Will was the sky which was “vast and bright,” while she was the earth who grounded him. They had created a perfect balance of flying above the clouds while staying right where they needed to be, but this had taken time, effort, and a whole lot of work.
Working Together
Today, Will and Jada Smith are still one of the most famous couples to ever come out of Hollywood. They have not only worked together for charities, acting work, and even their Red Table Talk, but they have also continued their own work as individuals. It seems as though they have since passed this work ethic down to their children, who are gearing up to take over the world.
Feeding The Haters
Of course, there are many people out there who see Will and Jada’s relationship as rather strange. Their life choices sometimes feed the haters who criticize their marriage, but the couple doesn’t listen to these comments. After all, if they know that they are solid and in love, then what does it matter to anyone else? Other couples don’t get millions of people making comments about their relationship, so they shouldn’t either.
The Real Secret
If you read this hoping for one specific secret to a successful marriage, then we have to let you down. While it may seem as though Jada and Will Smith have the perfect partnership, it has not come without a lot of hard work. They have been able to grow as individuals and a family, and this has allowed them to reach this amazing point in their life. They haven’t given up.
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