Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are probably one of the most iconic celebrity couples of all time. Not only that, but they just so happen to be the head of the most iconic celebrity family of all time. No arguments there.
But even though I'm a huge fan of the couple, I never actually knew the story of how they got together. Well, until recently anyway, when Jada's talkshow, Red Table Talk, which she hosts on Facebook alongside her mother Adrienne and daughter Willow, returned for its second season. The first guest? None other than Mr Smith himself.
So, let's jump straight into the story, because it's actually pretty wild and we don't have a second to waste. It starts way back when Will was the Fresh Prince, while Jada was shooting for a TV show called A Different World.
According to Will, he'd seen A Different World on TV and was immediately taken with Jada. Fortunately for him, fellow Fresh Prince cast mate Alfonso Ribeiro knew someone who could introduce them, and so they set up a plan for Will to attend a taping of the show, where he'd meet the future Mrs Pinkett Smith.
But things didn't exactly go to plan because it turns out that the person who was meant to introduce Will and Jada brought another girl along, who caught Will's attention. Who was that girl, I hear you ask. Uhhh, none other than Sheree, who Will went on to marry and have a son with!
So, let's just make sure we're on the same page here. In the words of Willard Carroll Smith Jr. himself: "I went to Different World to meet Jada, but met Sheree, and ended up marrying Sheree."
The story goes that Will knew he and Jada had a "beautiful energy" but he was adamant he would never get divorced. And Will even remembers the first time he realised he wasn't with the woman he was meant to be married to.
I had a realisation that I wasn't with the person I was supposed to be with. I went in the bathroom at The Palm and I broke down in tears. I was sitting in a stall in the restaurant, and I was crying uncontrollably, and then laughing. Like, what the heck is wrong with me? I was crying and laughing and it's like, I knew that was the woman I was supposed to be with, but I was never getting divorced.
But it turns out that decision wasn't in Will's hands — Sheree would later file for divorce, and did so on Valentine's Day!
But the story just gets even wilder, because once Will had signed the divorce papers, he left the building, got in his car, and immediately called up Jada.
I said, 'Hey Jada, what's up, it's Will.' She said, 'Hey, how you doing?' I said, 'Good. Are you seeing anybody?' And she said, 'Uhhh, no?' I said, 'Cool, you're seeing me now.'
And that was that! While laughing at the memory, Jada continued: "My dumb ass was like, 'OK.'"
