Will Smith admits falling in love with Stockard Channing while married

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith first married in 1997. Photo / Getty Images

Will Smith "fell in love" with Stockard Channing during his first marriage.

The 53-year-old actor starred alongside the actress in the 1993 movie Six Degrees of Separation, and Will admits to falling in love with Stockard while he was still married to Sheree Zampino.

In his new memoir - excerpts of which have been released by People magazine - Will shared: "Sheree and I were in the first few months of our marriage with a brand-new baby and for Sheree, I can imagine that this experience was unsettling, to say the least.

"She'd married a guy named Will Smith and now she was living with a guy named Paul Poitier [his character's name in the film]. And to make matters worse, during shooting I fell in love with Stockard Channing.

"After the film wrapped, Sheree and Trey and I moved back to LA. Our marriage was off to a rocky start. I found myself desperately yearning to see and speak to Stockard."

Stockard Channing starred in The West Wing.

Meanwhile, Jada Pinkett Smith - Will's second wife - recently discussed the couple's love life publicly.

The actress suggested during an episode of Red Table Talk that their sex life was complicated by the number of years they've been married.

She said: "The thing Will and I talk about a lot is the journey. We started in this at a very young age, you know, 22 years old.

"That's why the accountability part really hit for me because I think you expect your partner to know [what you need], especially when it comes to sex."

However, Jada - who has Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, with the actor - subsequently took to social media to clarify her earlier comments, insisting the couple didn't have any issues.

She wrote on Twitter: "Watch the @RedTableTalk I did with @GwynethPaltrow for yourselves. Will and I have NEVER had an issue in the bedroom. Thank you.''

Only because I got time today.
Stop making up headlines.
Watch the @RedTableTalk I did with @GwynethPaltrow for yourselves.
Will and I have NEVER had an issue in the bedroom. Thank you❣️https://t.co/wBpqSTTaGi

— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) October 28, 2021