If you think there’s no such thing as too much love, you should take a look at Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s ever-evolving and complicated entanglement, which not only impacted the former’s mental health but also in some ways left a bitter taste in Chris Rock’s mouth on the Oscars night of 2022.
Ahead of the release of her new book Worthy, Jada shed light on her relationship and marriage with Smith and how the high of love changed her priorities, taking her focus away from the process of mental well-being.
How Jada Pinkett Smith’s Priorities Changed After Meeting Will Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith has had a more dramatic life than most engrossing Hollywood movies. She showed great resilience to survive a tough Baltimore childhood and open the doors of Hollywood, where she first showed her acting talents in an episode of the sitcom True Colors. A break on the big screen followed a few years later with Menace II Society.
While enjoying a promising rise in her career, the actress found herself dealing with two strong emotions in her personal life.
During the early 90s, she crossed paths with young actor, Will Smith, on the set of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The fresh prince of the entertainment industry was married to Sheree Zampino at the time. However, after his split, he approached Pinkett and asked (via PEOPLE), “Who are you going out with?” When she admitted to being single, the bold actor said: “Well, you’re going out with me now.” she added:
“Will called me up one day and said, ’Hit me when you get to L.A.’ and then … click. And I was like, ‘Whoa. Okay.’ And so when I got to L.A., I called him. I haven’t been able to get rid of him since.”
While being floored by Smith’s charm, Pinkett Smith was working on her mental health, being treated for depression. But then she stopped taking her medication. She revealed:
“Once I met Will, I completely abandoned my mental health. I was so intoxicated by him and our dynamic. I really felt like I’m cured. He became the drug.”
At the time, the actress wasn’t apparently able to get rid of Smith, but for a while, they’ve been living their separate lives. In an interview on Today show, the 52-year-old actress revealed that she and husband Will have been separated for seven years. The way Smith reacted toward Chris Rock in 2022 suggests the Bad Boys star still deeply cared a lot about her despite their separation.
How Jada Pinkett Smith Started to Feel Better After Experiencing Suicidal Thoughts at 40
Speaking to PEOPLE, Jada Pinkett Smith admitted that in her 40s, she was in a lot of pain and saw death as her only way out.
Fortunately, a chance conversation in her kitchen acted as a ray of sunshine, as friends of her son Jaden Smith made her aware of the ayahuasca ceremony, where a leader supplies a plant-based psychedelic drug. She continued:
“Ayahuasca helped me, it gave me a new intimate relationship with myself that I had never had before.”
The Red Table Talk host added that since the first time she took the drug, the suicidal thoughts went away. Moreover, as per the actress, her husband and children have also taken ayahuasca, “as adults”.
