Why I Respect Will and Jada’s Marriage

Unpopular opinion here…but I actually believe the Smith’s (Will and Jada) have a pretty good marriage.

Now I know what some of you are thinking….

What about the sanctity and sacredness of marriage?

Do people value anything anymore??

Do morals and standards even still exist???

And while I hear and take into consideration these arguments, there are some other factors to consider as well…

As we all know, the divorce rate is at an all-time high.

No doubt, one of the main reasons for this is infidelity.

An article at Verywellmind.com, titled Causes and Risks of Why Married People Cheat, by Sheri Stitof (medically reviewed by Carl Synder, MD), states that “upwards of 40% of married couples are impacted by infidelity.”

But we don’t just have to rely on the statistics for this.

Most, if not all of us, know a friend or family member (or several) that has dealt with infidelity in their marriage at some point or another.

It’s a huge problem in marriage, and we all know it.

And while the Smith’s marriage does not seem to be perfect (I don’t think any marriage is), they have managed to come to a mutual understanding between them both that they can live with. And they’ve been going for 23 years strong. That has to count for something.

In order to assess their marriage to better illustrate my point, let’s do a little recap…

The History

Years ago, there were rumors that the Smiths had an open marriage. And while this was the ongoing rumor, there never was any real confirmation that this was true. Whenever they were asked if the rumors were true, they would both give a vague, ambiguous answer that left you even more confused….

But as the years passed, those rumors continued to grow stronger. But there was starting to be more evidence pointing to the fact that the rumors could actually be true.

The blogs had uncovered what seemed to be pretty strong evidence that Will Smith had a famous model girlfriend. The blogs were able to back this up with evidence of the fact that Will was spotted vacationing in the same country as this model and they were visiting the same places there.

Each of them was photograhed on Instagram taking pictures at the same exact places around the same time. They just weren’t photographed together.

Shortly thereafter, R&B singer, August Alsina, came out with a song implying that he had a prior sexual relationship with Jada. He used her middle name to keep it somewhat mysterious, but the clues in the song clearly gave it away…

Then, who could forget the infamous entanglement allegations? Many people found it hard to believe, until Jada Pinkett Smith herself confirmed the relationship…

The silhouette of a couple lovingly gazing at each other while the sun sets in the background.

Image by Gabriel Ferraz on Pixabay

My Take On It

I respect the Smith’s marriage for the following reasons…

1. They Create Their Own Rules

As we all know, marriage was designed to be a traditional union between one man and one woman. Within that union, sexual intercourse is only to take place between that one man and one woman.

And while this ideal image of what marriage looks like has been upheld as the standard for our society, many have not been able to live up to this standard…as evidenced by the high infidelity and divorce rates nowadays.

I respect the fact that Jada and Will have mutually decided what was best for them together and as individuals. Rather than being held to what they apparently deemed as an impossible standard…they defined their own rules of what a fulfilling marriage should look like.

2. They Have Good and Honest Communication Skills

When Jada began hosting her Red Table Talk, podcast style show, it was revealed just how open and honest the Smith’s are in their marriage.

Viewers were given a first hand look at the rare candidness of their relationship.

And in the latest issue of GQ magazine, Will further confirms the couple’s “unconventional” open marriage.

“Jada never believed in conventional marriage.”

“We have given each other trust and freedom with the belief that everybody has to find their own way. And marriage for us can’t be a prison.”

Will has stated that the open marriage was Jada’s idea. She brought it to Will in an open and honest way. He’s also alluded to the fact (in other settings) that he wasn’t necessarily on board at first.

But as time went on, and after communicating back and forth…They decided to restructure the guidelines of their marriage.

No secrets, no judgement…just open and honest communication.

3. They are Open About Outside Partners

In this current day and age, where marriage is mocked and not taken seriously and where people are doing their own thing and being dishonest with their unsuspecting spouses, I respect a couple that puts it all out there on the table….the red table to be exact.

In a somewhat recent episode of Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk, she and husband Will Smith opened up about the fallout from the entanglement between Jada and August Alsina.

Jada revealed that Will was aware, and not opposed to the relationship between her and Alsina. She stated that at the time she “needed to feel good” and it was a “joy to help heal somebody.”

The Smith’s also went on to make the memorable statement, “We ride together, we die together. Bad marriage for life.”

The couple has always been vocal about the fact that divorce is not an option for them regardless of the circumstances.

So, whether you agree or disagree with the way the Smith’s run their marriage…

I think you would agree that the way they run their marriage should at least be respected.

In a sea of so many couples that lie, cheat, and don’t communicate their true feelings…

It’s refreshing to see a couple be vulnerable and honest. I can appreciate a couple that says:

I don’t know what I’m doing.

I don’t have all the answers.

I may not have it all together, but…

I’m willing to explore a better way with you…

It is for these reasons that I think we can all learn from the perfectly imperfect marriage of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith…

And hopefully apply some of their openness and honesty to our own relationships…

Do you agree? What were some of your favorite takeaways?

Comment down below.