LOS ANGELES, Oct 12, (Agencies): In a recent interview, actor Jada Pinkett Smith disclosed that she and her husband Will Smith have been living separately since 2016, long before the highly publicized "Oscars Slap" incident that took place last year. The couple, known as a Hollywood power duo, faced intense scrutiny during the Academy Awards when Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage in response to a joke about Jada.

According to Pinkett Smith, they had already been leading "totally separate lives" for several years before the infamous incident. In a preview of an interview promoting her new memoir, "Worthy," she mentioned, "By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying." Despite years of rumors about affairs and an open marriage, the couple repeatedly denied such claims.

However, in 2020, Jada Pinkett Smith openly discussed an extramarital "entanglement" she had with singer August Alsina during a period of separation from her husband. As per the recent snippet of her interview, this separation continues to this day, even though the couple remains legally married.

When asked why they kept their separation hidden, Jada Pinkett Smith explained that they were "just not... ready yet" and that they were "still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in partnership." She emphasized that they share a deep love and are committed to finding their unique path as a couple.

Jada Pinkett Smith also addressed the 2022 Oscars ceremony in an excerpt from her memoir. During the event, Chris Rock made a joke about her closely cropped head, as she has alopecia. Will Smith responded by slapping Rock on stage and using obscenities. In her memoir, Pinkett Smith recalls her initial confusion about the incident, thinking it was part of a skit. She elaborated that they were attending the event as a family and not as husband and wife.

She also shared an anecdote about Chris Rock asking her out when he believed she and Will Smith were on the verge of divorce. Pinkett Smith clarified to Rock that there was no impending divorce, and he profusely apologized for his assumption.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith initially met in 1994 on the set of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" when Smith was married to his first wife, whom he later divorced. The couple has two children together, Jaden and Willow.