Sheree Zampino opened up about the challenges she faced with Jada Pinkett Smith at the start of her relationship with her now husband, Will Smith.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was married to Will Smith from 1992 to 1995, and they share 29-year-old son Trey. Following their divorce, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum went on to marry Jada Pinkett Smith in 1997 and they now have two children together – son Jaden, 24, and daughter Willow, 21.
Before Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith could tie the knot, the Red Table Talk host first had to overcome a few obstacles with Zampino, the mother of Smith’s first son. In an interview with Us Weekly on Monday, Zampino revealed that there was some “friction” in the early days of her relationship with Pinkett Smith because she was not yet a mother.
“When Will and Jada got together, Jada wasn’t a mom,” she explained. “She wasn’t experienced, she didn’t have a certain understanding. So, that sometimes caused a little friction.”
“But with her – and I always say this – as a mom, I just want the best for my child,” she said. “So my only demand, I will say it’s a demand, is that you’re good to him. And if you’re good to him then what’s the issue.”
The entrepreneur went on to explain how Pinkett Smith has always been “amazing” to her son Trey and that she “loves him” like her own. And when it comes to being in a blended family, Zampino’s advice was to “keep the kids first” and “forgive quickly”.
“We were able to be adults in that situation,” she said about her relationship with Pinkett Smith. “We didn’t hold onto things and not communicate, not take accountability. So, that really was helpful.”
As far as her son’s relationship with Pinkett Smith, Zampino recalled a time when Trey was referring to the Collateral actress as “mom,” and how she coped with their close bond.
“In order for him to be calling her mom, he’s comfortable and he’s probably also trying to fit into that family dynamic,” she said. “It doesn’t take anything away from me. I’m very secure in my role in his life. I’m secure with being his mom. Nobody can undermine that, nobody can take that connection away.”
The 54-year-old television personality recently revealed that she had “bumped heads” with her ex-husband Will Smith while co-parenting their son. Appearing on David Yontef’s Behind The Velvet Rope podcast on 1 August, Zampino said co parenting with the Smiths “hasn’t been pretty” over the years because of their different personalities and parenting styles, but “at the end of the day, it’s about the kids.”
“I’m not gonna say it’s easy,” Zampino told Yontef, adding, “My heart is always for my child. My child comes first. He really does.”
These days, Zampino maintains a close relationship with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. She even appeared on the premiere episode of Red Table Talk and discussed with Jada what it takes to “create a blended family unit”.
She also showed support for Smith after he won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard. Zampino posted a photo of the two posing with Smith’s Oscar award, and captioned her Instagram post: “Epic night! Congratulations again – when one wins, we all win.”
