Will Smith responds to Jada Pinkett Smith’s damning revelations from her new memoir

Smith said Jada's memoir had 'woken' him up

In her book the 52-year-old revealed - amid a myriad of other things, that her and Smith have been living separately for seven years, that Chris Rock asked her out when rumours first started swirling around that she and the I Am Legend star were separating and that Tupac once proposed to her. For a fuller account of Jada's headline-grabbing revelations, read Buzzfeed's account here.

While sitting down with Hoda Kotb on Today, Jada revealed that she and Smith - who tied the knot in 1997 - have been living separately, but aren't officially divorced: "I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through whatever. And I just haven't been able to break that promise."

Jada went on to explain that the unique arrangement had continued for so long as the couple are "just not ready yet" and are still "trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in a partnership, and in regards to how do we present that to people, you know?"

Smith has since opened up to The New York Times via email.

He said Jada's memoir had "kind of woke him up" and he realised she is more "resilient, clever and compassionate than he’d understood".

“When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life a sort of emotional blindness sets in, and you can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties," he wrote.

In her interview with Today, Jada also spoke about the infamous 2022 Oscars incident, where Smith slapped Rock onstage and told him to, "Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth." The comedian make a 'G.I. Jane' gag at Jada's expense.

Rather than being shocked by Smith's physical response - that saw him being banned from the ceremony for years to come - Jada said she was more surprised the 55-year-old referred to her as "his wife".

“First of all, I’m really shocked, because mind you, I’m not there. We haven’t called each other husband and wife in a long time,” she said.

“I’m like, ‘What is going on right now? Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth?’ I’m really worried for Will because I don’t know what’s going on.”

Jada's memoir will be released on Tuesday.

Jada Pinkett Smith says Chris Rock asked her out on a date amid rumours she and will were separating

People confused over Will Smith's Oscars slap after Jada reveals they've been separated for years

Jada Pinkett Smith reveals she has been separated from Will Smith for seven years