Now this is a story all about how Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith returned to the public eye.
For a meal, that is. The estranged couple—who quietly separated in 2016—stepped out together at the Nobu restaurant in Malibu Sept. 6, marking their first photographed joint public appearance in 10 months.
For their rare outing, Will, 56, wore a white T-shirt, khaki pants and a white baseball cap. As for Jada, 53, she sported a hooded strapless dress, paired with gold sandals.
The two were last spotted together in November 2024, leaving a restaurant in Calabasas, Calif. The previous May, the Girls Trip actress joined Will at the Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiere in Hollywood, along with their children Jaden Smith, 27, and Willow Smith, 24, Will’s son Trey Smith, 32, and Jada’s mom Adrienne Banfield-Norris.
At the time, the family night out marked the pair’s first joint appearance since Jada revealed in October 2023 that she and Will—who had often attended celebrity events together in past years—have been separated since 2016. The actress added that she ultimately decided not to file to end their marriage.
“I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce,” she said on Jada’s Story – An NBC News Special. “We will work through whatever, and I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”
Indeed, Jada noted that when it came to her relationship with Will, the two were “still figuring it out.”
“We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together,” she told People in October 2023. “We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”
Look back at Will and Jada’s relationship through the years…
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Throwback!
Stunner in a blue outfit (dress?)! Will and Jada are all smiles at the Devil in a Blue Dress premiere in 1995.
White hot
Have you ever seen anything more ’90s glam than this? The couple poses together in 1997, the year they got married.
Baby bump alert
Jada is styling more than just a trendy silver coat in this 1998 red carpet photo: she’s showing off her baby bump in a sleek black dress. Jaden Smith was born on July 8, 1998.
Suited up
Hats off to the couple who never cease to show up on a red carpet in style. Here they are together at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California in 2005.
Here comes the bride
Jada ignored the old superstition of never wearing to black to a wedding as she and Will head to Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise’s 2006 wedding in Rome, Italy.
Family affair
The kids are here in London, England with Will and Jada on the red carpet at The Karate Kid premiere in 2010.
Say cheese
Orange you glad to see this picture of Will and Jada together? The happy couple smiles in New York City in 2010.
Oh Canada
Willow, Jaden, Will, and Jada Pinkett Smith pose together in a family shot at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012.
Glam in green
Jada dazzles in green as she and Will arrive at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2016.
Vacation mode
Everyone is all smiles for a family vacation after making a quick pit stop at the 2018 World Cup.
Soft smiles
Will posts an Instagram tribute to wife Jada, acknowledging that they’ve been together for “HALF OUR LIVES!”
Entanglement
In 2020, Will and Jada addressed Jada’s alleged affair with August Alsina.
Admitting she and August had an “entanglement” while she and Will were separated, she explained, “It was a relationship. I was in a lot of pain and I was very broken. In the process of that relationship I definitely realized you can’t find happiness outside of yourself. Luckily enough, you and I were also going through a process of healing in a much different manner.”
2022 Oscars
During the 2022 Academy Awards, Will slapped host Chris Rock over a joke the comedian made about Jada’s shaved head.
After the slap, Will resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and was banned from its events for 10 years. He also apologized to Chris—calling the slap “unacceptable” and noting “there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment.”
Separation News
In Oct. 2023, Jada revealed she and Will have been separated for 7 years, including the six leading up to the 2022 Oscars.
“We’re still figuring it out,” Jada told People in a profile published Oct. 11. “We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”
