Will Smith once had to address the allegations made by his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, that he tends to ask strangers for money. The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” then narrated his side of the tale during a late-night talk show.
What Happened: In December 2017, Will Smith contradicted his wife’s version of an event where he supposedly asked a stranger for money. Jada had initially narrated this incident during a May 2017 appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
Will Smith explained that the incident took place after the launch day of their company, Just Water.
“So it was the first day, and we're walking down the street in New York, and I see the first pallet coming into the Whole Foods,” he said.
However, the couple found themselves without cash to purchase their own product. At that moment, Will Smith proposed asking a passerby for a few dollars.
“[Jada said] there's no way that we're going to walk up to strangers and ask for money,” the “The Pursuit of Happyness” star recalled, adding, “And I was like, ‘Babe, they would like it. It would be fun for them to say Will and Jada borrowed $2.’ She was like, ‘They aren't going to say Will and Jada did nothing.'”
“She made us walk four blocks to go and get $2 and then four blocks back to get the water, at which point it was good because I was parched,” he concluded.
Why It Matters: Earlier that year, in May, when Jada appeared on the show, Kimmel recalled a story Will Smith had shared. As per the story, Will once found himself at a gas station without his wallet, low on gas, and asked a passerby for $10.
The person was shocked that Will Smith was asking for money but gave it to him nonetheless.
Jada confirmed that this wasn't an isolated incident, explaining that Will frequently pulls similar stunts, especially when she's around.
Kimmel jokingly referred to Will as "the world's most famous panhandler," to which Jada laughed and agreed.
Just Water was founded by Jaden Smith, with the help of his parent Will and Jada. The eco-friendly water startup was inspired by Jaden’s concern for the environment and the impact of plastic waste on the oceans.
In 2019, the company that offers responsibly sourced water from upstate New York, packaged in a bottle made from 82% renewable materials, hit a $100 million valuation.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Read Next:
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.