Jada Pinkett Smith: I'd choose marriage over my career

Actress would quit showbiz if it threatened her relationship

Monday, 16 April 2007

Jada Pinkett Smith says she would give up acting if it ever jeopardised her marriage.

The mum-of-two and husband Will Smith are both successful film stars, but she reckons she values her family above her work.

'I'm very aware how busy careers can quickly lead to divorce, but I'm not going to let that happen to us,' she tells The Independent.

'I will give up my career away before I let it break up our marriage. I made it clear to Will that I'd throw it away completely, which is what I'm doing to a certain extent.'

Jada and Will have been married 10 years and have two children together, son Jaden Christopher, eight – who recently starred with his dad in The Pursuit Of Happyness – and daughter Willow, six.

In her latest film Reign Over Me, 35-year-old Jada plays a wife trapped in an unhappy marriage. She claims the role taught her how to make her own marriage stronger.

'Even though you have this union as husband and wife, you can never forget who you are, just simply as yourself,' she tells the Independent.

'If you lose yourself then everything else will fall out. There is no relationship to be had if you don't have a relationship with yourself first.'