Will Smith's public reaction to the furor surrounding his wife's book release was definitely tongue in cheek but the Oscar winner's personal response was honest and refreshing. In an interview on the "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" podcast, Jada Pinkett Smith shared a letter he wrote to her after reading "Worthy." Will noted, "I know it wasn't easy to excavate the depths in that way. I applaud and honor you. If I had read this book 30 years ago, I definitely would have hugged you more. I'll start now."
He also admitted to feeling "shocked and stunned ... laughing, then inspired, then heartbroken" — a perfectly understandable reaction, according to crisis management expert Eden Gillott, of Gillott Communications. Speaking exclusively to The List, she explained, "As Pixar's movie 'Inside Out' reminds us, we have the capacity to have a duality of emotions." Gillott continued, "You can be embarrassed while also being proud." The crisis management expert added that Will's actions speak volumes about their relationship.
"Will Smith continues to support Jada by showing up for her and the family," she confirmed. "He stood by her side while speaking at an event for her book on Wednesday." The former rapper also knows when to step back and drop it: His humorous Instagram video is the only social media acknowledgment of the memoir as of this writing. Two days after the "sneeze" reaction, Will posted pictures of the whole Smith family celebrating the 70th birthday of Jada's mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris. "Happy 70th, Gam Bam!!" he wrote.
