Will Smith's Oscars slap on Chris Rock shone a light on several issues in Hollywood. For starters, the incident itself has divided the industry between those who support the King Richard actor and those who are against what he did. It also made the public more aware of Alopecia, an autoimmune disorder causing hair loss. But somewhere at the core of this debacle is the marriage between the leading man and Jada-Pinkett-Smith, a union that has lasted for 25 years.

We take a look at how Will and Jada's marriage started, its evolution over the years, and how their relationship reached its current form.

1994-2000: The early phase of Will and Jada's marriage

Will Smith got her first glimpse of his future wife when Jada Pinkett-Smith auditioned to play his girlfriend on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1994. At that time, the actor was still married to Sheree Zampino and had a son with her named Trey.

A year later, the pair divorced and Smith pursued a relationship with Jada. In 1997, the pair tied the knot in Baltimore and their first son, Jaden, was born shortly after. The couple would then have a daughter named Willow, who was born in 2000.

With the arrival of Willow, Will and Jada's family would be complete with Trey, Smith's son with Zampino, in it. During this time, the actor ascended to the upper echelon of Hollywood and constantly starred in consecutive blockbusters, like Men In Black, I Am Legend, and I, Robot. Jada, for her part, also dabbled in various projects, while taking care of her children.

Without a doubt, it was during these years that both Will and Jada enjoyed tremendous success in their respective careers and as a married couple.

2001- 2020: Turbulent times

For the better part of these two decades, Smith had his fair share of successful movies and those that flopped, such as After Earth and Seven Pounds. Jada, meanwhile, starred in the Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions during the 2000s. But while things were relatively quiet with the two, there was trouble brewing beneath the surface.

In 2013, the actress got everyone's attention when she clarified rumors about an open relationship between Will and her.

“I think that people get that idea because Will and I are very relaxed with one another. But I’ve always told Will: ‘You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be okay,” Jada said in an interview.

Two years later, Smith addressed rumors that he and Jada are getting divorced. After years of enduring countless speculation, the actor has finally had enough.

“Under normal circumstances, I don’t usually respond to foolishness (Because it’s contagious). But, so many people have extended me their ‘deepest condolences’ that I figured – ‘What the hell… I can be foolish, too! So, in the interest of redundant, repetitious, over & over-again-ness… Jada and I are… NOT GETTING A DIVORCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Smith wrote on Facebook.

Unfortunately, that won't be the same message in 2018. Will Smith came out on TIDAL's Rap Radar podcast and said that he and Jada aren't married anymore. He then explained that they refer to themselves as life partners and nothing Jada could do would break their relationship. Smith added that he will support his wife 'till death and it feels so good to reach that point.

That proclamation of support will be put to the test when news of August Alsina having an affair with Jada broke out in 2020. It was then revealed in an episode of Red Table Talk that the couple did separate in 2015, which led Jada to date Alsina. Smith also said that the relationship between the young artist and his wife had his blessing.

During the same episode, the pair ultimately reconciled and said that they have reached a new place of unconditional love. At this point in time, both Will Smith and Jada have chosen to work on their marriage again.

2020-Present: The slap heard around the world

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Will Smith, Chris Rock, Oscars, EntertainmentWhile the pair eventually decided to fix their marriage, it won't be long before the couple would be embroiled in controversy again.

During the recent Oscars, Chris Rock joked about Jada's bald hairstyle right before he presented the nominees for Best Documentary. The actress then rolled up her eyes as his husband approached the comedian on stage. All of a sudden, Smith slapped Rock as the show was still being broadcasted live.

Rock, for his part, tried to justify the joke he made. This prompted the actor to yell from his seat to keep his wife's name out of the comedian's mouth. Later on, Smith would go to win the Best Actor award for his role in King Richard. He would then use this opportunity to ask forgiveness from the Academy and his fellow nominees while saying “love will make you do crazy things.”

It was later revealed that Jada was suffering from Alopecia, a disorder that causes hair loss. Rock's joke provoked Smith in such a way that captured the whole world's attention. For his part, the actor released an apology via Instagram and Rock has refused to press charges against him.

At this point in time, both Will and Jada are at the point of fixing their marriage further after years of turbulence. The hope here is that the recent incident involving the Oscars will die a natural death so the two can focus on their family and their respective careers. It remains to be seen how long it would take before these issues, and subsequently, their marriage, are finally resolved.