Ana Navarro, cohost of “The View,” has accused Jada Pinkett Smith of revealing her separation from Will Smith in order to “sell books.” During Wednesday’s episode of the ABC talk show, Navarro and her cohosts discussed Pinkett Smith’s recent revelation of her separation in an interview with “Today” show host Hoda Kotb.
In the interview, Pinkett Smith disclosed that she and Will Smith have been separated since 2016, but they have no plans to divorce. Navarro expressed her frustration about the level of detail shared about the Smiths’ marriage and questioned the need for public disclosure.
“Why do I know so much about these people’s marriage?” Navarro wondered. “I kind of feel like I know more about their marriage than I know about my own damn marriage. I don’t need to know all of this. You know what? I just want to watch reruns of ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ and ‘Bad Boys.’ Just leave this out of my head.”
She continued, suggesting that Pinkett Smith’s motivations are primarily financial: “Listen, I think she’s having a relationship with her bank account because every time she needs to increase the ratings of the ‘Red Table,’ every time she needs to sell books, she drops these bombshells. I find it unseemly. Be careful of anybody who pretends to have a perfect marriage.”
Joy Behar, another cohost, had a different perspective. She remarked that Pinkett Smith was clever to use the news about her separation to boost her book sales. Sunny Hostin added that she considers Pinkett Smith’s disclosure to be a brave and courageous move, suggesting that it’s not primarily motivated by money.
In contrast, Hostin expressed her fascination with the story, emphasizing that the new information changes the context of recent controversies involving the couple. The Smiths had made headlines in 2020 due to Pinkett Smith’s relationship with singer August Alsina, and in 2022, Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars over a joke made about Pinkett Smith.
As the discussion continued, Alyssa Farah Griffin, another cohost, pointed out another revelation from Pinkett Smith’s upcoming memoir, relating to a time when Chris Rock had asked her on a date amid rumors that the Smiths were headed for divorce.
Sara Haines, the final cohost, concluded the conversation by expressing her concern about the impact of the situation on the couple’s two children, Willow and Jaden. She stressed that they are the example for their children and that their public turmoil could be detrimental to their understanding of healthy relationships.
