Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were photographed together publicly for the first time in 10 months after dining at Nobu in Malibu, where the pair were seen leaving the restaurant and getting into a white Lamborghini.
The outing came amid a long-running separation between the two actors; Jada Pinkett Smith told Hoda Kotb on Today in October 2023 that she and Smith had been separated since 2016 but had not divorced. The couple, who married in 1997, are parents to Jaden, 27, and Willow, 24.
Photographers captured Smith, 56, smiling as he left the restaurant alongside Jada Pinkett Smith, 53. Eyewitness descriptions and published photos showed the couple walking to the valet and departing together; Smith was reported to be driving as they left the celebrity hotspot. The pair were last publicly photographed together in November 2024 on a rare date night and last attended a red carpet together in May 2024 at the premiere of Smith’s film Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Their appearance comes as the couple has maintained a public posture of separation without formal divorce. In the 2023 Today interview, Jada Pinkett Smith said the couple had been "exhausted with trying" by 2016 and confirmed they lived separately while also saying she had made a promise that there would be no divorce. In 2020, Jada publicly discussed an "entanglement" with singer August Alsina on her show Red Table Talk; the conversation was widely reported and contributed to scrutiny of the couple’s relationship.
Sources contacted by People earlier this year described the two as "living their own lives but haven't completely severed ties," and other outlets reported they have maintained separate homes for years. At a recent screening interviewed by Entertainment Tonight, Smith praised Jada, calling her "one of the most gangsta ride-or-dies I've ever had."
The outing coincides with a new business development: Westbrook, the entertainment company co-founded by Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, announced a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures. According to announcements accompanying the deal, Westbrook will focus on global theatrical movies with franchise potential, and two films — Sugar Bandits, adapted from Chuck Hogan's novel Devils in Exile, and Rabbit Hole, written by Jon Spaihts — were reported to be in development. Variety reported that Westbrook would be headquartered on the Paramount lot in Hollywood under the arrangement.
The Paramount deal arrives as Smith continues to re-engage with industry projects after a period of controversy following his onstage assault of comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. Smith has since issued multiple public apologies for the incident, and his post-Oscars activity has included film releases such as Emancipation (2022) and the commercially successful Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), as well as the Academy Award-winning King Richard (2021).
Smith has also been touring, and promotional material for a U.K. tour released earlier this year drew attention on social media after users raised questions about apparent digital artifacts in a posted video. The clip prompted discussion about whether it featured AI-generated imagery; Smith’s camp did not offer technical details in response to those online critiques.
The Nobu appearance was a low-key public moment that highlighted the couple’s continued public partnership in some arenas even as they maintain separate personal lives. Representatives for Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the outing or on the status of their relationship.