Jada Pinkett Smith recently announced that she and Will Smith separated in 2016. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
- Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith have been separated since 2016, but have not revealed it publicly.
- The news comes ahead of the release of Pinkett Smith’s memoir, which discusses their relationship.
- PR experts explained to Insider why the timing of this revelation is strategic and calculated.
The relationship between Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith has fascinated the public for years and somehow they continue to keep everyone on their toes.
On Wednesday, Pinkett Smith revealed in a preview clip of her primetime NBC News special that she and Smith, who married in 1997, have been separated since 2016.
Although the two actors have repeatedly stated that they don’t use the term “married” to describe their dynamic, the news of their split still came as something of a surprise. This is a couple who eventually earned a reputation for sharing and airing too much of their dirty laundry.
The decision to reveal her relationship status seven years later in Pinkett Smith’s upcoming memoir Worthy and her sit-down interview with Hoda Kotb certainly caused a stir. Insider spoke with two prominent PR experts to learn more about Pinkett Smith’s strategy for revealing this information now and how it affects the public’s perception of the couple.
Public relations experts say the timing of this bombshell news is fueling interest in Pinkett Smith’s memoir
Jada Pinkett Smith in her sit-down interview with Hoda Kotb in October 2023. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
“Worthy,” out Tuesday, promises to give fans a detailed, unflinchingly raw account of Pinkett Smith’s life, from her tough Baltimore roots to her A-list status as one half of a Hollywood power couple. To promote the book, NBC aired “Jada’s Story – An NBC News Special” on Friday and Pinkett Smith will tour starting Monday.
“When celebrities want to spread bad news, they tend to do so in a very orchestrated way,” crisis communications strategist Molly McPherson told Insider. “And Jada Pinkett Smith is undoubtedly taking a very calculated strategy in light of this announcement about her and her husband Will Smith.”
“It’s the smartest, most strategic move,” said Liza Anderson, founder and president of Anderson Group Public Relations. “I thought: Is she a genius or what?”
If the intention was to enhance the book, Anderson believes Pinkett Smith succeeded.
“It’s an absolutely brilliant move that has made headlines,” she said. “It raised alarms around the world and set alarm bells ringing all over the world.”
McPherson said she was surprised by Pinkett Smith’s tactics, given the mess of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s split, which saw the Jonas Brothers member “essentially accused of manipulating this divorce.”
“You would think that Pinkett Smith would take a different approach to PR with this rollout,” McPherson said.
Using a lie to promote her book is a risky move that could damage public trust
Jada Pinkett Smith used her talk show “Red Table Talk” as a forum for honest and open conversations. Rich Fury/VF22/Getty Images for Vanity Fair
“There’s certainly a lot at stake,” McPherson said. “She’s releasing a book, but she’s also basically going on a book tour to say she lied, and that’s a very difficult message for the public to digest.”
In the seven years they’ve been quietly separated, Pinkett Smith and Smith have maintained their appearances and supported each other at premieres, awards shows and other important events.
Pinkett Smith got in the hot seat on her show Red Table Talk for a candid conversation with Smith after musician August Alsina said he was in a relationship with her. Their “entanglement,” as it was called, occurred around 2016, during what the Smiths described as a “difficult time” and a temporary breakup in their marriage.
Smith shamefully slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars over a joke the comedian made about Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, even though, unbeknownst to fans, they were already separated and hadn’t called each other “husband” and “wife” in years “had called.
“What struck me as odd about her choosing this story for a book tour is that she is publishing a story at a time when the discrepancy between public and private roles is at its peak,” McPherson said.
“As far as scrutiny goes, I can’t think of a more intense time in our culture when the public has been much more scrutinizing and questioning the motives of celebrities,” she said, “because when there is a disconnect between public and private figures , it raises ethical concerns and can be viewed as deceptive and manipulative.”
Only time will tell if fans will get over withholding this information or if it will damage the Smiths’ credibility
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith married in 1997. Jae C. Hong/AP Images
In light of the Smiths’ split, fans have resurfaced and analyzed older interview excerpts. Pinkett Smith’s comments about her marriage on “Red Table Talk” – a show praised for its raw and real discussions – suddenly took a different turn knowing she and Smith were already separated.
“Andy Cohen asked her directly on Watch What Happens Live, ‘How do you keep your relationship going?’ and she had difficulty with that answer because it was covering up a lie,” McPherson said. “And it doesn’t matter if you’re a celebrity or not, people don’t like being lied to.”
Pinkett Smith’s followers and “Red Table Talk” fans may forgive her for perpetuating a false narrative about her marriage, but the average person may be suspicious of her.
“Jada Pinkett Smith fans will probably still be Jada Pinkett Smith fans,” McPherson said. “However, there are a lot of people who are just casual fans or just know both. I believe they will question the decision to withhold this information, especially given that her estranged husband Will is using the family value system and protecting his wife.” when he drove off and hit Chris Rock.
“This is an ethical misalignment that will increase scrutiny and call into question the trust of both,” she added.
Anderson, for her part, believes Pinkett Smith and Smith will emerge largely unscathed from this news cycle.
“Hollywood can be very lenient and I think it depends on why they lied,” she said. “I think it will make people want to read the book and find out why.”
Even if fans can’t forgive the lie, it’s only a matter of time before the Smiths bury it under another wild revelation about their dynamic.
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