Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s relationship has become tabloid fodder in recent years. From Smith’s best-selling memoir to his wife’s show Red Table Talk, the Hollywood couple has been open about their relationship. But one area of their relationship fans rarely hear about is the interesting dynamic with Smith’s ex-wife Sheree Zampino. While both sides have given peaks into their relationship, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. After co-parenting for two decades, Pinkett Smith admitted to apologizing to Zampino for her relationship with the Oscar winner.
The current and former Mrs. Smith came together during an episode of Red Table Talk that focused on toxic forgiveness. The subject led to the two women reminiscing about the rough start of their relationship. Pinkett Smith admitted creating a blended family with her husband and his ex-wife wasn’t easy in the beginning. Given that Zampino and Smith had just separated, she didn’t understand the complex emotions associated with divorce. The Girls Trip star chalked her lack of understanding to immaturity. Zampino chimed in that Pinkett Smith wasn’t a mother yet.
Despite their early animosity toward each other, the two women admitted they formed a sisterhood through their shared love for Zampino and Smith’s son. Learning to coexist opened up the line of communication between them. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hill star recalled The Matrix Resurrections star apologizing to her later on about jumping into a relationship with the movie superstar too early. As she put it:
I remember you coming to me, and you were teary, you were very emotional and you said, ‘I just didn't know.’ And basically what you were saying is, ‘I was in the picture too soon.’
Apologizing for the fast-paced romance was a nice mature response from the Hollywood actress. Jada Pinkett Smith even echoed Zampino’s words, saying:
I was. I was in the picture–
Looking back at her relationship two decades later allowed Pinkett Smith to own her part in the early friction. She appeared to regret coupling up with her husband too soon after his separation from Zampino. While the former Mrs. Smith accepted the actress’s apology, she was confronted with the same scenario recently but with different results:
And you apologized for that. And it's interesting, because recently, I was in that same situation. Now, it was a little worse. They were divorcing. What I didn't know is that she was very, very pregnant. And we were all in the same space, and she came, and I was like ‘What am I doing here?’ Like, it is way too soon. And I felt like I'm out of line. I need to give them– 'cause you never know what's gonna happen.
Going through her hardships with Pinkett Smith prepared the television personality for her recent relationship. Three decades removed from the situation allowed Zampino to approach her predicament with more maturity. Being in the Hollywood actress’ shoes made her understand their bumpy start even more. Her recently ended romance led to an epiphany for the businesswoman. She said:
You don't– you don't know. Like, you know, I don't think anybody is really in their right mind to start making permanent decisions in the midst of something so, you know, divorces ain't no joke. So thank you, 'cause you've always been one to, like, you know, ‘Ree, I done missed it. Forgive me.’ And we were able to move on.
Having a rough co-parenting journey led to both women crossing the line early on. Jada Pinkett Smith recalled confronting the RHOBH star about her stepson’s unruly behavior. An upset Sheree Zampino took the issue up with her movie star ex-husband. Though she was offended at the time, the TV actress understood where Pinkett Smith was coming from. She wasn’t above overstepping either, as the current Mrs. Smith remembered her marching into the couple’s master bedroom to check things out. She felt Smith’s ex wanted to let her presence be known, but the 51-year-old actress refrained from saying anything considering Zampino had picked out and decorated the house.
Both women are in a better place now – personally and professionally. Jada Pinkett Smith is currently hosting Red Table Talk Season 5 on Facebook Watch, which airs every Wednesday. That will hold fans until they get an official word about Girls Trip 2. Sheree Zampino is currently a recurring cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which airs every Wednesday at 8 pm ET on Bravo. While Pinkett Smith does have any movies coming out this year, just check out our 2022 movie schedule to see what remaining films are hitting theaters this year.
