No relationship is ever perfect and all have their set of flaws. For years, the marriage between Will and Jada Pinkett Smith has been seen as all of the “hashtag goals” before hashtags were even a thing. #BaeGoals, #RelationshipGoals, #MarriageGoals, you name it: Will and Jada have been listed as part of the upper echelon. But as the years have gone on and things began to seemingly unravel, you begin to see that no relationship is impenetrable to problems. That which was once pedestalized is no longer but rather humanized. As Will Smith is opening up more about his personal life which includes his marriage, he’s sharing now that his wife is NOT the source of his happiness.
Before the uproar, there is a perfectly good explanation for why Will Smith said what he said. In a recent discussion with Oprah Winfrey for her Apple TV show The Oprah Conversation, the King Richard star shared a lot of gems about his marriage. One, in particular, was about the responsibility that your significant other has in the terms of your happiness. According to Will Smith, it is not your partner’s responsibility to make YOU happy.
Back in 2018, Smith mentioned in a video uploaded to social media that he retired from trying to make his wife happy and gave reasons as to why. “You can make a person smile. You can make a person feel good. You can make a person laugh,” the actor said. “But, whether or not a person is happy is deeply and totally and utterly out of your control.” He further shared that their individual ideas of marriage and being “one” were debunked when they realized they were on separate journeys. However, marriage for them was choosing to take their separate journeys together and being responsible for their own happiness.
Will asked Jada about one of the biggest revelations that she’s had about love and he shared her answer for another IG sermon.
— Ameena (@AmeenaRasheed) February 16, 2018
You can’t make another person happy!
Where do I submit my tithes and offerings to First Lady @JadaPSmith? pic.twitter.com/S20QdSo5h5
In his recent conversation with Winfrey, Smith elaborated on his comments. According to the actor, the idea of being responsible for your significant other’s happiness is nothing more than a “fantasy illusion.” He provides that their goal for a healthy marriage is more in the “spiritual” realm with open and honest communication that has led to trust and freedom.
