They say ‘start as you mean to go on’, but for Will Smith and his estranged wife Jada Pinkett Smith, that mantra has proven to be more of an ill-fated prophecy than a way of life.

Today, Jada, 52, shattered what has been a very well-manicured illusion of the couple’s blissful – albeit unique – marriage, revealing to the world in two interviews that they have in fact been secretly separated for the last seven years.

Her admission, which came just days before she is due to release a tell-all memoir that will presumably document the split in great detail, sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, which has watched on as the pair have repeatedly put on what it now knows to be nothing more than the pretense of wedded joy, on red carpets, on social media, and in interviews.

But to those who know the couple best, the dramatic style in which they have revealed their split to the world may well be viewed as simply the latest in a line of scandals and upsets that have blighted their union since before it was cemented.

Indeed, the marriage was shrouded in sadness from the get-go – when bride-to-be Jada ‘cried’ her way ‘down the aisle’ at their wedding, later revealing that she had ‘never wanted to get married’ at all.

That rocky foundation on which their union was built has continued to buckle under the increasing weight of scandal over the years since they tied the knot in 1997 – and, according to Jada’s latest interview with NBC News this morning – ultimately cracked once and for all in 2016, when the pair decided to separate.

Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed that she and Will Smith have secretly been ‘living separate lives’ since 2016. They’re seen together in 2022

In the years since their secret split, the pair have continued to court controversy, from Jada’s 2020 admission that she’d had an affair with rapper August Alsina to Will’s notorious 2022 Oscars meltdown when he slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife’s hairstyle.

Yet even before their separation, the duo faced more than their fair share of tumultuous drama, including multiple accusations of infidelity.

Will and Jada first met in 1994, when Will was still married to his first wife, actress and producer Sheree Zampino.

And while he felt a connection to Jada almost immediately, he tried to push his feelings away because he didn’t believe in divorce and didn’t want to be the one to initiate it.

Sheree eventually told him she wanted to end their marriage – and as soon as they made their split official, he was on the phone with Jada asking her out.

As she shares intimate details about the breakdown of her and Will’s marriage, FEMAIL went ahead and recapped their rollercoaster ride romance from start to finish

But their relationship was troubled from the start – thanks to Will’s desire to have a family and Jada’s disdain for ‘conventional marriage’ – and when they walked down the aisle together in 1997, Jada later admitted to feeling immense ‘pressure’ to become the actor’s wife.

Things became more strained after they welcomed their two kids together and moved into a sprawling $3.4 million mansion in Calabasas – since Jada was forced to make a slew of ‘compromises’ in order to take care of their kids while Will’s career continued to soar.

She was also fiercely unhappy with the abode they had picked to be their family home – especially since it was so far from where she grew up, in Baltimore – with Will later describing the monthly mortgage payments as a constant reminder of her ‘misery.’

To make matters worse, rumors that they were unfaithful to one another plagued their marriage for years – but the couple continuously shot them down.

There was also speculation that they had an open relationship after they made a series of eyebrow-raising comments – like when Jada said she gave Will permission to ‘do whatever he wanted as long as he can look at himself in the mirror,’ and the time she admitted that she knew he was ‘attracted to other women.’

Things came to a head in 2020, when singer August made the bombshell claim that he had been embroiled in a secret affair with Jada years prior, while she was still married to Will.

At the time, Jada confirmed that she and August had been romantically involved but insisted that it was during a time that she and the Men In Black star were briefly ‘separated.’

She also insisted that she and Will were back together and stronger than ever – something we now know to be a lie.

As Jada shares intimate details about the breakdown of her and Will’s marriage, FEMAIL lays bare their rollercoaster ride romance from start to finish.

Trouble from the start: Will and Jada tied the knot in 1997 after two years of dating, but she later admitted that she felt ‘pressured’ to walk down the aisle and ‘never believed in conventional marriage’

Will and Jada first met back in 1994, when she auditioned to play Beullah ‘Lisa’ Wilkes in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The role ultimately went to Nia Long (seen)

At the time, Will was still married to his first wife, actress Sheree Zampino (seen in 1991), and despite having feelings for Jada, he tried to ignore them because he didn’t believe in divorce

But when Sheree told Will that she wanted to end things months later, he quickly reconnected with Jada (seen in 1995). They started dating soon after, and got engaged in November 1997

Will and Jada first met back in 1994 – when she was only 19 years old and he was 22 – on set of his wildly popular sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

At the time, Jada tried out for the role of Beullah ‘Lisa’ Wilkes – the love interest of Will’s character during the fifth season.

Unfortunately, she didn’t get the part because she was told she was ‘too short’ – she’s only five-foot – and it went to actress Nia Long instead, but Will and Jada’s spark during her audition was undeniable.

At the time, Will was still married to his first wife, Sheree, but he later admitted during an episode of Red Table Talk that it was hard for him to ignore his feelings for Jada.

The Men In Black star recalled having a sudden ‘realization’ that he was ‘supposed to be with Jada’ during a dinner date with Sheree soon after – but he explained that he didn’t act on it because he didn’t believe in divorce.

‘I knew there was something in our energy that would be magic,’ he said. ‘I had a realization I wasn’t with the person I was supposed to be with.

‘I was sitting in a [bathroom] stall [at dinner] and I was crying and laughing uncontrollably.

‘I knew [Jada] was the woman I was supposed to be with, but I was never getting divorced… I went back out, sat down with Sheree and started going back on with my life.’

But when Sheree told Will that she wanted to end things months later, he quickly reconnected with Jada.

They became husband and wife one month later, on New Year’s Eve in December 1997, while she was three months pregnant with their first child. They’re seen at the wedding

Jada later revealed in an interview with People that she ‘never believed in conventional marriage’ and felt ‘pressured’ by her mother to rush to the alter before their baby was born

‘I [called her and] said, “Hey Jada, what’s up? It’s Will.” She said, “Hey, how are you doing?” I said, “OK, are you seeing anybody?”‘ he explained on Red Table Talk. ‘And she said, “Um … no.” I said, “Cool, you’re seeing me now.”‘

While their connection was clear from the start, Jada has insisted that nothing happened between her and Will until after he signed the divorce papers with Sheree.

She stated on her Facebook show, ‘We did not have an affair while he was married. Let’s be clear about that.’

Will and Jada went public with their romance soon after that, and they quickly became Hollywood’s new ‘it’ couple.

‘We spent every single moment together, just us. The first three or four months were as wild a romantic whirlwind as our bodies could have possibly handled,’ Will gushed of the start of their romance in his 2021 memoir, Will.

‘We fit together so naturally, and our energies combined exponentially in a way that felt like old friends more than new lovers. We had an unspoken language, and everything we focused on flourished.’

They got engaged in November 1997 – one day before they found out they were expecting their first child together – and became husband and wife one month later, on New Year’s Eve in December 1997.

Their ceremony took place in Jada’s hometown of Baltimore, and was extremely intimate with only their closest friends and family members.

And while on the outside it seemed as though they were as happy as could be, the pair later admitted that their first problems arose when it came time for them to walk down the aisle together.

Jada revealed in an interview with People that she ‘never believed in conventional marriage’ and felt ‘pressured’ by her mother to rush to the alter before their baby was born.

‘I never wanted to get married. But my mother was like, “You have to get married” – she’s so old-school – and Will wanted a family,’ she explained.

The couple went on to welcome a baby boy named Jaden Christopher Syre Smith in 1998, followed by a daughter named Willow Camille Reign Smith in 2000. The family is seen in 2008

‘So I said, “Alright, maybe it’s something I should do.” I was under so much pressure being a young actress and pregnant, and I didn’t know what to do.

‘My first trimester was horrible. I was so upset that I had to have a wedding. I was so pissed. I went crying down the freaking aisle getting married.’

Will described their wedding as the ‘first of many compromises Jada would make over the years that painfully negated her own values’ in his book.

The couple went on to welcome their first child, a baby boy named Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, on July 8, 1998, followed by their second, a girl named Willow Camille Reign Smith, on October 31, 2000.

Soon after, they began hunting for a house to buy together – but when they settled on a $3.4 million mansion in Calabasas, it lead to even more tension between them.

‘Nothing good comes from spending your hard-earned money on a “family home” that your wife doesn’t want,’ Will continued.

‘You are putting a down payment on discord and for years you will be paying off a mortgage of misery.’

Putting on a public front of unity: Rumors of infidelities plagued their marriage for years, but they always insisted they were still going strong – only to admit years later that they secretly split in 2011

Rumors that there was trouble in paradise first arose in 2011, when reports started to emerge that claimed Jada had cheated on Will with her Hawthorne costar Marc Anthony (seen in 2012)

At the time, Will and Jada were quick to shut down the speculation – but Will later confirmed in his memoir that he and Jada did briefly split up around that time. The family is seen in 2011

Rumors that there was trouble in paradise first arose in 2011, when reports started to emerge that claimed Jada had cheated on Will with her Hawthorne costar Marc Anthony.

A source told Us Weekly at the time that the two stars had become ‘inappropriately close’ on set, hanging out alone in his trailer on numerous occasions.

Will (seen with Jada in 2011) did not specify whether or not the cheating rumors had anything to do with the break or how long it was. He wrote: ‘Our marriage wasn’t working. We could no longer pretend. We were both miserable and clearly something had to change’

‘They were a little touchy and like they were in their own little world,’ said the onlooker.

At the time, Will and Jada were quick to shut down the speculation, releasing a joint statement that said, ‘Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact.’

Marc also slammed the allegations to ABC News, explaining, ‘What bothers me is the effect it has on family, to Will and Jada’s circle, and their children, and their relatives, and their loved ones.’

Will later confirmed in his memoir, however, that he and Jada did briefly split up around that time, but he did not specify whether or not the cheating rumors had anything to do with the break.

‘Our marriage wasn’t working. We could no longer pretend. We were both miserable and clearly something had to change,’ he wrote.

‘We were suffering the brutal death of our romantic fantasies, the burning away of the idealistic illusion of the perfect marriage and the perfect family.

‘Neither of us wanted a divorce, we knew we loved each other, and some aspects of our union were magical. But the structure of the life that we had established was strangling both of us.’

In 2013, Jada addressed rumors that she and Will had an ‘open marriage.’ She said, ‘Will and I both can do whatever we want, because we trust each other to do so.’ They’re seen in 2013

Then, in 2015, reports surfaced that claimed Will had been embroiled in an affair with Margot Robbie while they were filming the movie Focus together. They’re seen at the Focus premiere

It’s unclear how much time they spent apart or when they got back together, but Will added that when they did reconcile, the break allowed them to be ‘simultaneously 100 per cent bound together and 100 per cent free.’

Two years later, Jada addressed rumors that she and Will had an ‘open marriage’ after she made an interesting comment during an interview with Huffington Post.

‘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 told the outlet.

‘Because at the end of the day, Will is his own man. I’m here as his partner, but he is his own man.

‘He has to decide who he wants to be and that’s not for me to do for him. Or vice versa.’

Her statement lead to many people wondering if the couple had agreed to see other people, but she quickly cleared the air in a Facebook post days later.

She wrote, ‘Let me first say this, there are far more important things to talk about in regards to what is happening in the world than whether I have an open marriage or not.

‘Here is how I will change my statement … Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so.

But he once again shut them down, stating in a scathing social media post, ‘Jada and I are NOT GETTING A DIVORCE.’ They’re seen kissing in February 2015

‘This does NOT mean we have an open relationship… this means we have a GROWN one.’

She spoke out about it again during an appearance on Howard Stern’s radio show in 2015, explaining that she’s ‘realistic’ that her husband ‘is attracted to other women.’

‘I’m not the kind of woman that believes that a man’s not gonna be attracted to other women. It’s just not realistic,’ she shared.

‘And just because your man is attracted to another woman doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. And it doesn’t mean he’s gonna act on it.’

Around the same time, reports began to surface that claimed Will had been embroiled in an affair with Margot Robbie while they were filming the movie Focus together.

But he once again shut them down, stating in a scathing social media post, ‘In the interest of redundant, repetitious, and over and over-again-ness… Jada and I are NOT GETTING A DIVORCE.

‘I promise you all – if I ever decide to divorce my Queen, I SWEAR I’ll tell you myself.’

August Alsina’s bombshell accusations: In 2020, the singer claimed he and Jada had an affair while she was still married to Will – but she insisted it happened when she was ‘separated’ from the actor

In July 2018, Will admitted that he and Jada ‘don’t say they’re married anymore,’ but instead, ‘refer to themselves as life partners.’ They’re seen in 2018

But in 2020, singer August Alsina (seen with Jada in 2017) made a bombshell claim that he had become embroiled in a whirlwind affair with Jada in 2016, while she was still married to Will

Jada first crossed paths with August, who is more than 20 years her junior, in June 2015 at the Wireless Festival in London.

While the timing of when they got together is still unclear, the two suspiciously attended the BET Awards together in June 2017, sparking speculation that something was going on between them.

While neither Jada or Will addressed the rumors at the time, the I Am Legend alum posted a gushing tribute to Jada in honor of their 20th anniversary that December, which made it seem like they were still very much together.

’20 years ago today we held hands and walked naively down that aisle. Here’s what I’ve learned since,’ he wrote.

‘Love is like gardening… I have learned to focus on HELPING you to BLOSSOM into what YOU want to be (into what you were born to be), rather than demanding that you become what my fragile ego needs you to be.

‘I’ve learned to take pleasure in nourishing YOUR dreams rather than wrestling with you to fulfill my selfish needs  and satiate my Insecurities.

‘I have learned that love is listening, love is giving, love is freedom. Happy anniversary, my queen. I am forever devoted to nurturing your deepest truth.’

In July 2018, Will admitted that he and Jada ‘don’t say they’re married anymore,’ but instead, ‘refer to themselves as life partners’ – however, he insisted at the time that they were going to be together ‘for the rest of their lives.’

‘You get into that space where you realize you are literally with somebody for the rest of your life,’ he gushed.

‘There’s no deal breakers. There’s nothing she could do – ever – nothing that would break our relationship. She has my support till death, and it feels so good to get to that space.’

Jada later insisted that she was never unfaithful to Will and that her relationship with August happened after she and Will ‘separated’ in 2016. They’re seen in 2016

On an episode of Red Table Talk in 2020, Will and Jada insisted that they were back together and that she was no longer in contact with August

Jada had something similar to say about her husband during an interview with Sway in the Morning weeks later.

‘Here’s the thing about Will and I – it’s like, we are family, that’s never going down,’ she insisted.

‘It doesn’t matter what people think, ideas of a husband and a partner and all that. Whatever, at the end of the day, that’s a man that can rely on me for the rest of his life, period.’

In 2020, August made a bombshell claim that he had become embroiled in a whirlwind affair with Jada back in 2016, while she was still married to Will.

August said he ‘gave himself’ to Jada ‘for years of his life’ and ‘truly, really deeply loved her.’

The musician also alleged that Will and Jada did have an open relationship and that the actor even gave him his ‘blessing.’

‘I actually sat down with Will and had a conversation due to the transformation from their marriage to life partnership that they’ve spoken on several times and it not involving romanticism,’ he said.

While Jada’s reps were quick to brand August’s accusations as ‘absolutely not true,’ she confirmed that she and August did become involved romantically during an episode of Red Table Talk days later.

However, she insisted that she was never unfaithful to Will and that it happened during a time that they were ‘separated.’

‘About four and a half years ago … I started a friendship with August. We actually became really, really good friends,’ she shared.

‘It all started with him just needing some help, you know? Me wanting to help his health, his mental state.

‘I just wanted to feel good; it had been so long since I felt good. And it was really a joy to just help heal someone.’

She explained that she and Will were ‘going through a very difficult time,’ which left her ‘broken’ and ‘in a lot of pain.’

‘We decided that we were going to separate for a period of time and you go figure out how to make yourself happy and I’ll figure out how to make myself happy,’ Will added.

Jada continued: ‘As time went on, I got into a different kind of entanglement with August.

When asked if she considered it to be a relationship, she added, ‘Yes, it was a relationship, absolutely.’

At the time, however, Will and Jada insisted that they were back together and that she was no longer in contact with August.

The truth: Jada says they’ve lived ‘separate lives’ since 2016, despite the pair insisting they were ‘still together’ in 2021 – one year before Will slapped Chris Rock over a joke about his ‘wife’ at the Oscars

Will stated in 2021 that they went through a ‘period of non-monogamy’ but that ‘monogamy was what they chose’ for the ‘large part of their relationship.’ They’re seen in 2019

When asked by GQ in 2021 about their romance, Will stated that they went through a ‘period of non-monogamy’ but that ‘monogamy was what they chose’ for the ‘large part of their relationship.’

‘We have given each other trust and freedom, with the belief that everybody has to find their own way,’ he added.

‘Marriage for us can’t be a prison. I don’t suggest our road for anybody, but the experiences that the freedoms that we’ve given one another and the unconditional support, to me, is the highest definition of love.’

He also confirmed to the outlet that he ‘engaged in other sexual relationships’ during their separation, but did not share any more information.

Then, during a sit-down with Oprah months later, Will claimed that he and Jada were very much ‘still together.’

‘People are trying to put something on it: “Will and Jada – what they doing with other people?” Will and Jada ain’t really doing too much of nothin’,’ he joked.

‘Will and Jada are on a spiritual journey to cleanse the poisonous, unloving parts of our hearts. And we’re doing it together in this lifetime no matter what.

At the 2022 Oscars, Will made a very dramatic and public display of dedication to Jada when he slapped host Chris Rock over a joke he made about Jada’s appearance

Now, the actress has admitted during an appearance on NBC News that she and Will have lived ‘completely separate lives’ since 2016. She and Will are seen together last November

‘Me and Jada, to this day, if we start talking, it’s four hours. It’s four hours if we exchange a sentence.

‘That’s the center of why we’ve been able to sustain [our relationship] and why we are still together, not choking the life out of each other – the ability to work through issues.

‘I’ve never met another person that I connect with in conversation more blissfully and productively than Jada.’

During a 2022 chat with Gayle King on CBS Sunday Mornings, Jada insisted that there was ‘never’ any ‘infidelity’ in their marriage and that any outside relationships they participated in were only during the breaks from their relationship.

‘We have never surprised one another with anything ever,’ she said.

Months later at the 2022 Oscars, Will made a very dramatic and public display of dedication to Jada when he got into a physical altercation with host Chris Rock over a joke he made about Jada’s appearance.

The actor infamously jumped on stage and hit Chris in the face after he commented on the actress’ lack of hair, despite her being fiercely honest about her battle with alopecia.

During the shocking sit-down, which will air in full on October 13, she said they were still trying to ‘figure out’ what the future of their marriage looks like

She added that she considered getting a legal divorce but realized could never go through with it due to a past ‘promise’ to her husband that had made

After the altercation, Will screamed, ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth.’

He later apologized for his ‘poisonous and destructive’ reaction, adding, ‘Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.’

Now, after years of rumors swirling that Will and Jada had been unfaithful to one another and them continuously insisting that they’re still going strong, the actress has admitted during an appearance on NBC News that she and Will have been living apart since 2016.

During the shocking sit-down, which will air in full on October 13, she said they were still trying to ‘figure out’ what the future of their marriage looks like.

‘By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be,’ she shared in a preview for it.

She added that she considered getting a legal divorce but realized could never go through with it due to a past ‘promise’ to her husband that had made.

‘I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce,’ she explained. ‘That we will work through whatever. And I just haven’t been able to break that promise.’

‘But you still live separately?’ host Hoda Kotb asked, prompting Jada to confirm: ‘We live separately.’