Will Smith Calls Relationship with Wife Jada 'Sloppy Public Experiment in Unconditional Love' at Book Talk

The actor made a surprise appearance at the end of a talk for his wife's new book held in Baltimore on Wednesday

Will Smith joined wife Jada Pinkett Smith on stage in her hometown of Baltimore as he spoke out for the first time about their relationship since the release of her revealing book.

The Emancipation actor, 55, joined his wife Wednesday during a talk for her new memoir Worthy at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, where he shared some heartfelt thoughts about his feelings for Jada and the couple’s relationship, including calling it “brutal and beautiful” and a “sloppy public experiment in unconditional love," according to The Baltimore Banner.

The event featured a conversation between the 52-year-old actress and CNN’s Laura Coates — and even included an unscheduled onstage appearance from Jada's family!

Towards the end of the talk, she was joined on stage by Will plus their children Willow, 22, and Jaden, 25, along with Trey, 30, whom Will shares with ex-wife Sheree Zampino. Jada then jokingly declared, per the Banner, “I guess the talk's over.”

“I just really wanted to come out and just be here and hold it down for you the way you have held it down for me,” Will said from the stage, as his three children watched from over to one side.

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Related: Jada Pinkett Smith Says She and Will Are Talking About Writing a Book Together — and They Have a Title!

According to the Banner, the family, along with other relatives, was in town to celebrate the 70th birthday of Jada's mom Adrienne Banfield-Norris, but Will’s speech was focused on his wife and the couple’s “long” relationship.

“We have had a very, very long and tumultuous [relationship]. We call it ‘brutiful.’ It was brutal and beautiful at the same time,” Will also said during his speech, reports The Baltimore Sun.

“We got together when we were in our 20s,” he told the audience, according to the outlet. “I had huge dreams of what I wanted to do in the world and in my life, and I was on fire with a vision. And as I stand here before you today, I am happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

“There is not one thing left that I desire in this world — all of the awards, all of the money, the family — everything I’ve ever dreamed,” the Oscar winner added, per the Banner.

He continued, “And those dreams were largely built on the foundation of Jada’s sacrifices. There were many times when Jada put her career aside so I could follow the dreams of mine.”

Will also praised his wife for building a strong relationship with Zampino, which in turn allowed all three of the actor's children to spend time with each other and the family.

Elsewhere in the speech, the actor said, according to the Banner, “Can you show up and love somebody for the rest of your life, even when you don’t agree with them?”

Will offered up an emotional promise to his wife: “Jada is the best friend I have ever had on this planet and I am going to show up for her and support her for the rest of my life."

Following applause, Will then explained to the audience that he had recently been in Papua New Guinea with his cell phone off and had only become aware of the speculation around his relationship with Jada when he arrived in Sydney.

“Thank you all for being a place for Jada to find her voice,” he then said, per the Banner. “Baltimore, coming home to you is really beautiful.”

Related: Jada Pinkett Smith and Daughter Willow Appear in Great Spirits After Dinner Date in New York City

During the conversation with Coates earlier in the evening, Jada had addressed her relationship with Will, telling the anchor that the pair are “good” and she does not intend to leave his side.

“Will and me are good,” the Girls Trip actress said, according to the Sun. “All the people who don’t understand and got something to say are just going to have to fall in line."

“The truth of the matter is I’m not leaving Will’s side and he’s not going to leave mine. We’ve been on a powerful quest. And I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” she added.

“The Pratt Library was happy to welcome Baltimore’s @jadapsmith and her family to the Library!” read a post from the library on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday evening.

Alongside the caption, the library posted a selection of photos from the event, including an image of Will and Jada on stage together and a shot of the two with Willow, Jaden and Trey.

Will’s emotional speech came after he posted a playful joke "statement" on Instagram Tuesday, amid revelations about his 25-year marriage and life with Jada, both from her memoir and recent interviews.

"OFFICIAL STATEMENT," Will wrote in the caption for the video. The apparently serious video began with the actor sitting on a chair in front of a fireplace.

"I got something for you, here's the thing. So, my opinion of the — " he said, before lifting his arm and offering up a sneeze. The video then zoomed out through graphics of the earth, including waterfalls, mountains and a beach.

Last week, Jada told Hoda Kotb during an interview for NBC that she and Will — who married in 1997 —  have been separated since 2016, and explained the reason they had chosen not to share that publicly until now.

"I think just not being ready yet, still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in a partnership and in regards to how do we present that to people. And we hadn't figured that out,” she told Kotb.

Ahead of the Tuesday release of Worthy, Jada told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview published last week that she and Will are "still figuring it out."

“We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us," the Emmy winner said.

However, in an interview Extra this week, she confirmed that the pair will not be filing for divorce.

“Divorce is off the table,” Jada said. “We are life partners.”

Worthy is available now wherever books are sold.

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