For months, rumors have swirled around the fate of superstar Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s 13-year union.
Tabloids and blogs have pointed to everything from Pinkett Smith’s alleged romantic fling with J. Lo’s ex, Marc Anthony, to supposed fights between Will and Jada over the acting and musical careers of their two children, Jaden and Willow, as being the root of the couple’s problems.
Adding fuel to the fire are this week’s reports that Pinkett Smith recently made a visit to the office of well-known divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser.
“Though it’s not clear what exactly is happening—it is clear that something is going on,’’ says Judy Smith, a crisis-management consultant based in Washington, D.C., whose company has handled several high-profile celebrity divorces. “When stories like this continue to surface and won’t go away something is usually behind them.
Sources close to the power couple say both Will and his actress wife have strong personalities that have clashed one too many times of late.
“They just kept butting heads over the kids and other personal issues within the marriage,’’ said a former long-time employee of the Smiths. “Jada’s independent and focused, and Will likes to be in control. Someone has to agree to give in and that wasn’t happening anymore with them.’’
The source said that compromise used to be more commonplace in the Smith household before children Willow, 10, and Jaden, 13, became celebrities in their own right.
Both children have enjoyed success of sorts in major movies and music. Jaden had a huge box-office hit with The Karate Kid in 2010, while Willow recorded a few radio hits and continues to grace fashion blogs with her offbeat, funky, and oddly mature style.
The high visibility of the Smith offspring generated spirited debate early last year, when bestselling writer Terry McMillan suggested the Smiths were being “pimped” by their parents. At the height of Willow Smith’s hit single, “Whip My Hair,’’ McMillan took to her personal Twitter account and let her opinions of child stardom be known.
“The Smith children already act like child stars. There’s arrogance in their demeanor and behavior. It feels like the Smith children are being pimped and exploited. They are already hungry for fame, what about the 4th grade?”
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