In a candid interview, Jada Pinkett Smith revealed that she and her husband, Will Smith, have been separated for years. This clip of her upcoming prime-time special with Hoda Kotb, set to air on Oct. 13 on NBC, has gone viral.

Pinkett Smith confirmed to Hoda that there is much more to her long-term marriage with Will Smith basically ended seven years ago. Shy of a divorce, they have lived “completely separate lives” since 2016. The two married in December 1997.

This significant revelation is a precursor to Pinkett Smith’s upcoming memoir, “Worthy,” set to release on Oct. 17, where she further details the journey of their relationship from its inception to its current state, Today reported.

Ironically, when Smith himself wrote about their separation in his autobiography, “Will,” published in 2021, very few seemed to take note.

The couple has remains legally married, but Pinkett Smith clarified to Kotb that they are no longer romantically involved. According to Pinkett Smith, the couple was still navigating how to redefine their partnership and present it to the public.

When Kotb asked about the reason behind this relationship fracture, Pinkett Smith shared, “Why it fractured… that’s a lot of things … By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both kind of just still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.”

Still, Pinkett Smith’s legal divorce is not an option.

“I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through … whatever,” Pinkett Smith says. “I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”

The public has witnessed the ups and downs of Smith and Pinkett Smith’s relationship over the years. From Pinkett Smith’s “entanglement” with singer August Alsina in 2020 to Smith’s headline-making incident at the 2022 Academy Awards when he slapped Chris Rock for making a joke at the expense of Pinkett Smith their journey has been far from conventional.

Smith and Pinkett Smith are parents to two children, Jaden and Willow. Smith has a son, Trey, from a previous marriage.

Will Smith, left, and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the Oscars on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Pinkett Smith and husband Will Smith have lived what she says are “completely separate lives” since 2016. Pinkett Smith made the revelation in an interview with Hoda Kotb. The prominent Hollywood couple married in 1997 and have addressed separations and marital troubles. But never this specifically. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)