Will Smith discusses his marriage with Jada Pinkett Smith, says it 'can't be a prison'
"Marriage for us can’t be a prison," he said.
Will Smith is speaking candidly about his marriage with wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
In a new GQ magazine cover story, which includes excerpts from Smith's upcoming memoir, "Will," Smith discussed how he and Pinkett Smith haven't always practiced monogamy in their marriage.
"Jada never believed in conventional marriage … Jada had family members that had an unconventional relationship," the actor said of his wife of 23 years.
"So she grew up in a way that was very different than how I grew up," he continued. "There were significant endless discussions about, what is relational perfection? What is the perfect way to interact as a couple? And for the large part of our relationship, monogamy was what we chose, not thinking of monogamy as the only relational perfection."
Smith, who shares son Jaden, 23, and daughter Willow, 20, with Jada, says he and his wife decided to do a Red Table Talk about their relationship as a way to protect themselves from "public scrutiny" following singer August Alsina's comments that he and Jada had an affair.
"The pursuit of truth is the only way to be happy in this lifetime," he said. "And we sort of came to the agreement that authenticity was the release from the shackles of fame...," Smith said.
Smith said he believes that their openness has allowed for "trust and freedom."
"Marriage for us can't be a prison," Smith said. "And I don't suggest our road for anybody. But the experiences that the freedoms that we've given one another and the unconditional support, to me, is the highest definition of love."
During the interview, Smith also admitted that he's been working with an intimacy coach and that one of his greatest fantasies was to have a harem of girlfriends -- which included Misty Copeland and Halle Berry.
Smith says he eventually realized, "That would be horrific."
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