A growing rumor that Will Smith filed for divorce from Jada Pinkett Smith is not actually as solid as it sounds. According to a report by Snopes, the story originated with the YouTube channel Hot Hut. However, it isn’t based on any real filings and it can’t be confirmed.
The original Hot Hut video has about 70,000 views on YouTube, while clips from it on TikTok and other platforms have as many as 841,000 views. It claims that Will Smith sent out his divorce filing during an Instagram Live stream, and that he did so because of things Jada said in an interview with NBC News on Oct. 13. However, the actual content of the video doesn’t support that claim – it is made up of suggestive clips and meaningful expressions, but it doesn’t show Will filing any legal paperwork. So far, no outlets have reported on any filings in the public record either.
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Still, the number of views and likes on these videos is alarming, as are the comments where many viewers seem to say they believe its unfounded claims. The story may have seemed believable because of the recent press surrounding Will and Jada. Jada is currently on a press tour promoting her new memoir, Worthy, which was published on Tuesday, Oct. 17. The book comes with some new revelations about Will and Jada’s family life, including the fact that they have been separated since 2016.
“We’re still figuring it out,” she told NBC News on Friday. “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.”
However, the Hot Hut video claimed that the real impetus for Will’s outrage was the late rapper Tupac Shakur. Jada has often talked about her relationship with Shakur over the years, which was a friendship with some serious romantic undertones. Will has been open about his “raging jealousy” of that relationship, but Jada never said that she loved Shakur more than she loved Will.
Obviously, there is a lot going on between Jada and Will, but all the details that are available are in Jada’s new book Worthy. The claim that they are getting divorced over Tupac Shakur is unfounded and most likely false. Worthy is available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.
