Jada Pinkett-Smith couldn’t hold back her tears as she reminisced about her ‘soulmate,’ the late rapper Tupac Shakur.
The 52-year-old actress has been in the spotlight recently, following her shocking disclosure that she and her husband, Will Smith, have been living separate lives for the past seven years. Now, as she promotes her new memoir, “Worthy,” Jada is opening up about her deep connection with Tupac.
The two first crossed paths at the Baltimore School for the Arts in Maryland during the ’80s. Although they never took their relationship to a physical level, Tupac once penned a letter proposing marriage to Jada while he was serving time for sexual assault at Rikers Island.
On a recent episode of Steven Bartlett’s “Diary Of A CEO” podcast, Jada read an excerpt from Tupac’s letter: “Now as I slip from grace and the world has turned against me a few claim to have love for me but once again you show your love. After deep reflection and spiritual awakening I have come to realize the friend, love and soulmate was there all the time. That is why I want to commit myself to you. I want to marry you.”
Although Jada declined the proposal, she remained a constant presence in Tupac’s life until a major falling-out shortly before his untimely death in 1996. Recalling a specific moment, Jada said, “Pac and I had a hard time understanding why we didn’t have it and I [remember] being on the back of the porch of my house and we’re having this discussion I’m like ‘okay Pac just kiss me.’ And he kisses me and it’s the most disgusting kiss between us both!”
When shown an old photograph of herself, Tupac, and their late friend Maxine—who took her own life around the time of Tupac’s death—Jada was visibly emotional.
She elaborated on the unique bond she shared with Tupac: “We had this incredible emotional and intellectual closeness but never crossed the line into physical intimacy. We had a knack for breaking down each other’s emotional barriers, and our arguments, though heated, were rooted in a deep understanding of each other.”
As for why they never took their relationship to the next level, Jada mused, “I believe physical closeness can often complicate things. It’s as if the universe had a different plan for us.”
