Jada Pinkett Smith Gets Honest About Her Mended Relationship With Will's Ex Sheree Zampino

All the media ado about Will Smith's marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith can make one forget about his first wife, Sheree Zampino. Sharing one adult son, Trey, with Zampino, Will and the Whoop Ash founder parted ways in 1995 following a three-year marriage. Two years later, he tied the knot with Jada. As often happens in a blended family, the early days were rather rocky. On a May 2018 episode of Jada's "Red Table Talk," Zampino joined the "Madagascar" star to discuss their past differences. Both parties recalled that the two women butted heads early on over Trey's co-parenting. According to Jada, she answered her stepson's phone on one such occasion, which quickly escalated into her and Zampino exchanging "fighting words." "You picked up the phone, and I wasn't really respectful." Zampino admitted, revealing that Jada hung up on her.

Things couldn't have been easy, either with Will remarrying just two years after his split from Zampino. In October 2018, Will himself appeared on "Red Table Talk" to discuss transitioning from one marriage to the other. During one incident whilst still married to Zampino, the "I Am Legend" star recalled "sitting in a stall and... crying and laughing uncontrollably" because he couldn't reconcile his aversion to getting divorced with his feelings for Jada. Shortly after, he and Zampino ended things and the rest was history. 

Although fences are mended on both sides today, Jada and Zampino recently opened up on the hard work it took to get there.

It took maturing on both sides for Jada Pinkett Smith and Sheree Zampino to achieve the bond they have today. "We have developed a really nice sisterhood," Jada said of husband Will Smith's first wife on the October 19 episode of "Red Table Talk." However, it took a while for the "Girls' Trip" star to understand that marrying Will meant joining Zampino's family, as well, as the actor-entrepreneur shares son Trey Smith with the "Emancipation" star. "For me, it really was just about maturity," Jada said. "Not understanding the marital dynamic. Like, 'OK, if divorce papers are sent and people are over it, then this is done.' Guess what? It ain't never done."

Ultimately, both women came to a peaceful, respectful resolution. As Zampino shared on "Red Table Talk," her priority was Jada's treatment of Trey, and she praised the "Matrix: Reloaded" star for always "wanting the best for him." Jada also noted that the two used a shared journal to help mediate their arguments. "We were able to have difficult conversations, we were able to own up," Jada said of the notebook tactic. 

Zampino similarly told Us Weekly in August how great Jada has been to Trey. "In order for him to be calling her mom, he's comfortable," she explained at the time, adding that she will always be "very secure in my role in his life."