‘Jada Really Broke This Man’: Will Smith’s Naïve Plan to Stop Women from Cheating Resurfaces and Samuel L. Jackson’s Priceless Reaction Has Everyone Agreeing
A resurfaced clip of Will Smith discussing how infidelity impacted his career in Hollywood has the internet talking.
Smith, 56, is one of the most successful actors of the past three decades, but his work on the big screen has been overshadowed in recent years by his unconventional, 27-year marriage.
The “Independence Day” star married “Worthy” author Jada Pinkett Smith in 1997. The celebrity couple has two children together — recording artists Jaden Smith, 27, and Willow Smith, 24.
Will also has a son named Willard “Trey” Smith III with his first wife. Sheree Zampino was married to the Academy Award winner from 1992 to 1995. Trey was born in November 1992.
Will and Jada’s relationship has been under the public microscope since the 1990s. A scandal erupted in 2020 when singer August Alsina, a friend of Jaden, revealed he had been romantically involved with the “Set It Off” actress.
That so-called “entanglement” between Jada and August opened the door for more focus on the Smiths’ private life behind closed doors. In 2023, Jada confessed that she and Will had been living separate lives for seven years.
Back in 2016, Will took part in The Hollywood Reporter’s Actor Oscar Roundtable. The Philadelphia native was coming off the release of 2015’s “Concussion” biographical sports movie.
Smith was joined on the THR panel by Mark Ruffalo (“Spotlight”), Benicio Del Toro (“Sicario”), Joel Edgerton (“Black Mass”), Samuel L. Jackson (“The Hateful Eight”), and Michael Cain (“Youth”).
At one point during the conversation, Smith recalled having to deal with his partner being unfaithful when he was a teenager. The rapper once known as The Fresh Prince received an awkward response from his peers.
“When I was 15 years old, my first girlfriend cheated on me. And I remember making a decision that nobody would ever cheat on me again,” Will explained to the group of accomplished entertainers.
He resumed, “And the way I was going to do that is by being the biggest actor on Earth. So there’s been this weird psychology that I’ve always felt like if my movies are number one, my life is going to work out great.”
Jackson, 76, immediately broke out into laughter in reaction to Smith’s admission as Ruffalo, 57, was seen with a smirk on his face. Both Jackson and Ruffalo have appeared in numerous blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe motion pictures.
A clip from the 2016 Oscar Roundtable was recently uploaded to Instagram. Fans did not hold back on sharing their takes on Smith’s quote about cheating, particularly because of his complicated situation with Jada.
“Didn’t he still [get] cheated on? Even after all that success?” one person wondered on the Meta-owned app. One responder jokingly answered, “It was an entanglement.”
Another commenter stated, “I feel like Will Smith has no self-awareness.” Additionally, someone reacted to the other actors on the panel by writing, “Ruffalo checking with Sam if it’s ok to laugh.”
Will’s spouse caught heat in the comment section, too. An Instagram user declared, “Jada really broke this man.” A second critic wrote, “And then your wife made you sit down and televise why she cheated on you.”
After the “entanglement” news broke, Jada brought Will onto her “Red Table Talk” show to cover the headline-grabbing controversy. That now-infamous episode featured the pair stamping their union as a “bad marriage for life.”
Jada and Will are still legally married, but rumors of an unofficial split continuously pop up. Their decision to list a home in California on the market for $2 million ignited speculation about a possible pending divorce.
“Call it what you want. They are living their own lives but haven’t completely severed ties,” an unnamed source told People in January 2025. The alleged insider also said, “Will is busy with film and music and doing okay.”
Over the past four years, Will played a lead role in movies such as “King Richard,” “Emancipation,” and “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” His filmography contains over a dozen films that reached No. 1 at the North American box office.
The Grammy Award-winning musician dropped the “Based on a True Story” album in March. His latest project featured Jaden, Jazzy Jeff, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, and more collaborators. Smith then broke the internet in June with his “Pretty Girls” single.