Will Smith spoke openly about the moment before he started dating Jada Pinkett Smith when he realized he was in a relationship with the wrong person.
During the latest episode of Pinkett Smith's Facebook Watch series "Red Table Talk," titled "Becoming Mr. & Mrs. Smith," the actress sat down with her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, daughter, Willow Smith, and husband, Will Smith, for a candid discussion.
When talking about the early stages of their relationship, Will Smith said Pinkett Smith auditioned for a role on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" at 19 years old. Though she didn't get the part, the "Men in Black" actor knew she was filming the show "A Different World" nearby and asked his costar Alfonso Ribeiro to set them up.
"I knew that there was something in our energy that would be magic," Smith explained.
When the actor went to the set of "A Different World" to meet Pinkett Smith, he ended up being introduced to Sheree Zampino, who he dated and married in 1992. The pair welcomed son Trey in late 1992.
During "Red Table Talk," Smith said that when he finally met Pinkett Smith, they hit things off and had a "really unique, beautiful power." But the "Independence Day" star was married, and they didn't pursue each other.
Read more: Jada Pinkett Smith explains why she and Will Smith don't say they're married anymore
Despite speculation and reports that the pair dated while Smith was still married, Pinkett Smith insisted that they didn't have a relationship at the time.
"We did not have an affair while he was married; let's be clear about that," she said.
Smith said he had dinner with Zampino one night at a restaurant and experienced "one of the most bizarre emotions" he'd ever had. Smith said he "had a realization that I wasn't with the person I was supposed to be with" and recalled "crying uncontrollably" in a bathroom stall that evening.
The actor added that he was overcome with emotions and began laughing as well, because he knew Pinkett Smith "was the woman I was supposed to be with, but I was never getting divorced." "I don't get divorced," he said.
Smith said he returned to dinner after composing himself and moved on with his life. He said Zampino "hit me hard" when she filed for divorce on Valentine's Day, and though he was reluctant to sign the documents, she insisted because she knew he didn't love her. They got divorced in 1995.
Minutes after signing the papers, Smith called Pinkett Smith and asked her if she was dating anyone. She was single at the time and the couple went on to get married in 1997 and have two children together, son Jaden and daughter Willow.
Watch the full episode below:
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