Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals ‘I Never Wanted To Get Married’

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith have been together for well over two decades now. The duo started dating in 1995, and have been married for nearly as long. However, it turns out that Jada initially didn’t want to walk down the aisle at all, with anyone, as People reports.

“I never wanted to get married,” Jada said. “But my mother was like, ‘You have to get married’ — she’s so old school — and Will wanted a family. So I said, ‘All right, maybe it’s something I should do.'”

As she recalls, they ended up tying the knot after some planning and family drama. The two got married in 1997, while Jada was already pregnant with their first child.

Jada’s views on marriage weren’t prompted by anything that Will had done, as she clarifies. She simply “had never seen a happy marriage,” and consequently didn’t feel it was a step she wanted to take.

Now, the two have been in marital bliss for over twenty years, but Jada is quick to point out that they don’t quite follow the rules of conventional marriages. She added that they make sure to always keep their independence intact.

“It’s more of a life partnership… I don’t own him. He doesn’t own me. He has to be his own person first, and vice versa…. Love is freedom.”

Both Will and Jada have been busy building their careers over the span of their marriage. They seem to find time to focus on one another while also nurturing their professional aspirations.

And, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in the case of their children. Both Willow and Jaden Smith have released music and dipped their toes in the entertainment industry waters. While their family connections likely help get them noticed, they seem determined to make it on their own, with their own types of projects. Will and Jada support their ventures and allow them to be independent, which seems like a classic rule in the Smith household.

Will and Jada’s relationship hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but they’ve always been honest about how hard they work on being their best selves for one another. In an interview on the Rap Radar podcast, as reported by Oprah Magazine, Will shared his own thoughts on the relationship.

“We refer to ourselves as life partners, where you get into that space where you realize you are literally with somebody for the rest of your life. This right now is the best time in my life, ever. I’ve never been happier.”