By Clarissa Hamlin
Recently, Jada Pinkett Smith responded to the seemingly-unending speculation about her open marriage with Will Smith.
In a candid interview with HuffPost Live, the 41 year old shared some insight on her highly-publicized relationship. “I’ve always told Will, ‘You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be OK,” she said to HuffPost Live’s Marc Lamont Hill. “Because at the end of the day, Will is his own man.”
She further disclosed some insightful revelations. “I’m here as his partner, but he is his own man,” Jada added. “He has to decide who he wants to be and that’s not for me to do for him. Or vice versa.”
Clearly, Jada must know the secret to a thriving marriage, managing to stretch her love with Will to nearly 16 years. The Hollywood heavyweight and “A Different World” alum married in 1997 after meeting on the set of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Despite the couple presenting themselves in a solid marriage, unbroken by tabloid gossip, open relationship rumors began circulating after Will allegedly claimed his wife could be with another man if she felt like it, in 2008. Then came the rumors about an affair between Jada and her former “Hawthorne” co-star Marc Anthony and a subsequent divorce shrouded the couple. But both were later proven false.
And despite the difficulties, Jada remains truly committed to her fresh prince. “I don’t think it’s easy to be married to anyone,” she said to Hill. “I think that you have to go into a relationship knowing — especially when you’re dedicating yourself to someone for the rest of your life — this is a life partnership … He’s my best friend. He’s been by my side through the most difficult parts of my life. And so that’s something you can never take away.”
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