WILL AND JADA SMITH REVEAL THEY ARE IN AN OPEN MARRIAGE, BUT WHAT ARE THE RULES?
With two children and more than 20 years as a married couple, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are one of the defining couples in Hollywood who have repeatedly made headlines for their "shaky" (or normal?) Relationship.
But in an interview with GQ in which Will submitted a draft of the memoir he's writing, he revealed that he and his wife have had sex with other people.
Will admitted that monogamy stopped working for them, and the couple came to blows after a dinner in which he left 10-year-old Willow in tears.
“We could no longer pretend. We were both miserable and clearly something had to change, ”he wrote in the draft.
“We have given each other trust and freedom, with the conviction that everyone has to find their own way. And marriage for us cannot be a prison. "
Will Smith has spoken about his marriage to Jada
Even though their unconventional relationship has come under wide scrutiny, and they have largely remained mum on details, it is clear that the couple's openness has allowed them to move forward in a positive and healthy way.
During a Red Table Talk in 2018, Will, 53, reflected on how his marriage was about getting through struggles together rather than immediately seeking divorce as an option.
"We had to rebuild with new rules and something completely different," he said.
And in 2005, Will reportedly told Espanol that he and Jada, 50, had asked each other's permission before being in a relationship with another person, and that they both respected each other's limits and wishes.
“If it comes down to that, then one can say to the other, 'Look, I need to have sex with someone. I won't if you don't approve, but please approve, '”he said.
More recently, rapper August Alsina claims to have had a relationship with Jada having secured Will's "blessing" before embarking on the "entanglement."
For dating expert Hayley Quinn, this mutual respect is a central rule of open relationships, allowing each partner to understand what they should and should not expect from their relationship.
But how each couple approaches this understanding can vary.
While some may agree that any relationship outside of marriage is at stake, others may draw the line on different specific sexual practices.
Talking about limits is essential when forming an open relationship.
"What happens in an open marriage is really at the discretion of the couple involved, and there is no one model that works for everyone," she said Quinn. OKAY!
During a Facebook Live in 2015, Jada revealed that Will had the freedom to do whatever he wanted as long as he was happy with himself.
"I've always said to Will, 'You can do whatever you want as long as you can look in the mirror and be okay," she said.
She then quickly addressed his comments on Facebook, clarifying that she didn't mean that Will was willing to cheat behind his back.
“This is how I'll change my statement… Will and I can BOTH do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do it,” he said.
Hayley notes that the trust between Will and Jada is a perfect example of a healthy and open relationship, in which both parties trust each other to pursue their own happiness.
“As difficult as it may be for some people to understand the idea of sharing their partner with another person, for some couples open marriages mean that they experience a high degree of trust and love with their partners,” she said.
"It is important to recognize that there is no one right way to experience love or to build a relationship, and for some people having an open marriage is the key to the longevity of their relationship, not its demise."
