Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were photographed together Saturday in Malibu, their first public appearance as a pair in about 10 months, as the couple remain in an unusual long-term separation they have described publicly.
The 56-year-old actor and the 53-year-old actress were seen leaving Nobu in Malibu and getting into a white Lamborghini after dining at the celebrity restaurant. Smith was casual in a short-sleeved white shirt, khaki shorts and a white cap; Pinkett Smith wore a nude, strapless flowing outfit with a hood and sunglasses.
The outing comes amid a public relationship described by Jada Pinkett Smith in October 2023 as a separation that began in 2016, though the couple have not divorced. The Smiths, who married in 1997 and are parents to Jaden, 27, and Willow, 24, have made occasional joint appearances in recent years; their last widely noted public sighting together was a November 2024 date night and their last red carpet appearance was at the May 2024 premiere of Smith’s film Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
In interviews and public comments, both have framed the arrangement in personal terms. Speaking to Hoda Kotb on Today in 2023, Jada said, “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 added that she had promised there would never be a reason for the couple to legally divorce. At a screening last year, Smith told Entertainment Tonight, “I have always been blessed that there has never been a time in my life when I didn't look to the side and have a ride or die right there...Jada is one of the most gangsta ride-or-dies I've ever had.”
People magazine sources have described the pair’s status in recent months as a relationship in which they are "living their own lives but haven't completely severed ties," with one telling the outlet the couple "are still together" but have maintained separate homes for years.
The public outing coincides with a fresh business development: Westbrook, the Smiths’ entertainment company, has signed a first-look deal with Paramount to develop theatrical films, a move announced earlier this week that industry outlets said positions the company on the Paramount lot. Paramount said Westbrook would concentrate on global, four-quadrant theatrical movies with franchise potential; two titles reported to be in development are Sugar Bandits, adapted from Chuck Hogan’s Devils in Exile, and Rabbit Hole, written by Jon Spaihts. Variety reported that Westbrook will be headquartered on the Paramount lot.
The deal signals a step in Smith’s broader attempt to re-establish his Hollywood career following the 2022 Academy Awards incident in which he struck comedian Chris Rock onstage. The episode and its fallout have shadowed his public life: Smith has issued multiple apologies and faced industry repercussions. Despite that, films connected to Westbrook, including Bad Boys: Ride or Die and King Richard, which won Smith an Academy Award, remain part of the couple’s professional legacy.
Smith has also pursued a live performance tour this year and released a promotional video that drew online attention and criticism, with some social media users alleging AI manipulation of the footage and pointing to visual anomalies. The Smiths’ joint business activity and occasional public appearances underscore a continued professional partnership even as their personal arrangements remain nontraditional and privately managed.
The couple’s relationship has drawn intermittent public scrutiny over the years. In 2020, Jada publicly acknowledged an “entanglement” with singer August Alsina during a period she described as a separation from Smith. The disclosure, filmed for her Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk, and Alsina’s claims about the timing of that relationship, prompted extensive media coverage and public conversation about the Smiths’ marriage.
Saturday’s brief appearance did not include public comment from either actor about their relationship status. Their outing in Malibu adds to a string of occasional joint appearances and business moves that continue to draw attention as both manage personal lives and professional projects in the public eye.