WENN

In a time when Hollywood marriages seem to last no more than 72 days, there are some celebrity couples that have stood the test of Tinseltown and time. While the words “Hollywood” and “marriage” can bring about laughs, snickers and cynical eye rolling when used in the same sentence, there are plenty of celebrity couples who have loved and lasted for years…even decades…in the midst of hot co-stars, tabloids, blogs, social media and paparazzi. Marriages CAN  last in the spotlight, and these couples share their secrets on how they’ve been able to maintain their relationship and go the distance…with their marriages lasting longer than a Hollywood minute.

Source: Instagram.com/OfficialJada

Social media has given regular folk unprecedented access into the lives of the rich and famous. Unlike even five years ago, we don’t have to rely on paparazzi and gossip magazines to see pictures of our fave celebrities because the celebs are posting their own pictures! This weekend, Jada Pinkett-Smith exhibited her self-professed addiction to Instagram by posting tons of family pictures on the social media website…as well as the expected picture or two that’s NSFW.

Source: Instagram/OfficialJada

Some of the pictures were from Will and Jada’s wedding day:

Source: Instagram.com/OfficialJada

Source: Instagram.com/OfficialJada

She posted pictures of her early days:

Source: Instagram.com/OfficialJada

And her early days as a mom:

Source: Instagram.com/OfficialJada

She also posted a few candids:

Source: Instagram.com/OfficialJada

No matter what you think of the Smiths, they’re certainly a beautiful family. You can view more pictures here.

Follow Alissa on Twitter @AlissaInPink

More on Madame Noire!

• I’m Gonna Call It Like I See It: Celebs With No Filter
• Beauty On A Budget: 8 Delicious Drugstore Products You Can’t Live Without
• Secret Lover: Signs He May Be Hiding Something From You
• All The Single Ladies! Grown and Gorgeous Celebs Who Are Single and Satisfied!
• Why I Wish We Would Stop Advising Black Women To Date Outside The Race
• Why I Love Working With Black Women
• Because a Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Celebs Who Attended Ivy League Universities

Well… she said no matter if it’s long or short. In a recent move, Willow Smith decided to shave most of her hair off. Jada has said that she’s fine with Willow experimenting with her hair because at the end of the day, it’s really not a big deal.

I have to admit, I think it’s kind of cute. The child has a cute face so she really can’t go wrong. And honestly, as much money as she and her parents have, I’m sure she can afford some good fake hair to cover it up, if she ever regrets her decision.

Check out some more pictures below.

What do you think of Willow’s new hair cut? Would you be “cool enough” to let your daughter shave her head at such a young age?

More on Madame Noire!

• What’s With Some Black Women’s Fascination With Marilyn Monroe?
• The Dark Side of Being Jealous in Love
• Ask A Very Smart Brotha Live: A*sholes & Disappearing Acts
• Undercover Brothers: Not-So-Famous Brothers of Famous Celebs
• What The Heck Happened To You: What Lost Celebs Look Like Nowadays
• Hair Q&A: Good Weave Hair and Flat Iron Recommendations
• 7 Things That Could Change The Way He Feels About You
• Say Cheese! Unfortunate Yet Unforgettable Celebrity Mug Shots

The world stopped spinning for a short while when reports broke that Black Hollywood’s favorite couple, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, were headed for divorce this summer. Fans breathed a sigh of relief when the couple immediately denied the rumors, but now, a mere few months later, the rumor mill is churning yet again.

Sources close to the couple—I don’t think you can use the word friends If they’re telling your business behind your back—told Star magazine that Will and Jada are basically living separate lives and that a divorce and battle over their $520 million estate is inevitable.

“They’ve been faking it for a long time and they don’t want to live a lie anymore,” one source said. “Living and sleeping separately — and now Will finally walking out on Jada — have pushed them to their limit. They’re done.”

Another insider said, “Will and Jada are finished. They’re still keeping up appearances because they worry divorce could hurt their careers, but there’s no turning back now. It needs to end.”

Apparently the couple wasn’t being dishonest in August when they said they’re marriage was still intact in response to the first divorce rumors, but whatever issues they’re dealing with may prove too difficult to get through, sources speculate.

“They’ve been trying to work through it, but things came to a head in early November, when they got into a huge knock-down, drag-out fight,” a source said. “They put up a good front in public, but behind doors they really fight like cats and dogs. They’ve always had issues in their relationship, and now they’re bubbling to the surface.”

“Will feels like he’s living a lie for everyone else, but he knows it needs to end,” a source explained. “They can’t keep pretending.”

While Will and Jada haven’t yet said anything about this latest set of rumors, a person identified as a close family friend says none of it is true.

“Will and Jada are not splitting. They have their issues and struggles like any other couple, but they are not getting a divorce,” the source told HollywoodLife.com.

“In fact, the family is planning a holiday skiing trip together. Will and Jada are also best friends and would go to a marriage counselor way before ending their marriage!”

We’re definitely hoping that’s what the couple would do after 14 years of marriage. It’s still very curious, though, that these reports continue to surface. The first time around, some suspected infidelity on Jada’s part with her then-coworker Marc Anthony on the set of Hawthorne, others thought their swinging lifestyle was to blame. One thing I don’t think anyone ever assumed was the work they put in to blending a family and loving each other was ever fake, so I hope the sources who are saying otherwise are just attention-hungry associates in need of a little extra Christmas money.

What do you think about Will and Jada divorce rumors resurfacing? Could there be any truth to the tales this time?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• WEEKEND WRAP UP: Kat Williams Wins Back Custody, Common vs. Drake? + More!
• Over Age Acne? Learn How To Beat the Bumps
• The Odd Couple: Hollywood’s Most Shocking Relationships
• Changing Faces: Common Cosmetic Surgeries Performed in 2011
• Do You Have a Love List?
• Unforgivable Hood Baby Names: Celebrity Edition
• Family Feud: Celebrity ‘Blood’ Battles

When you look at Hollywood it’s very easy to get lost in the glitz and the glamor. It is even easier to see how a relationship can get lost among the flashing lights. With black love being in the state that it is, I think it is always refreshing to look at couples that are making it work. They have been holding it down for years and showing the world, that yes, some black couples do have it together. And hey, if they can make it work through the late night parties and the groupies than there is hope for us women out here trying to make it work out here in the real world.

Denzel & Pauletta Washington

Denzel and Pauletta met in 1977 on the set of a film. They hit it off and the rest is history. They have been married for 28 wonderful years. They have 4 children together. Their eldest son John even plays for the St. Louis Rams. That’s what you call star power. Even though women around the world would love the chance to be with Denzel, you’ve got to respect the black woman on his arm.

We know that Willow is well beyond her years when it comes musical talent and stage presence. But we’re glad to see that this little one’s mind is equally advanced.

In a behind the scenes shoot of one of her studio sessions we see Willow’s first foray into song writing. The song “Epiphany” has a deep message about pursuing your dreams– even if you have more than one. Something I didn’t realize until I was a junior in college.

This video is a tad dated in internet time– it’s almost a month old– but it’s worthy of sharing so check it out. (I’m also more impressed with her vocal range on this song as well.)

Snaps for little Miss Smith!

I admit it, I wanted to know whether Will & Jada were on their way to a divorce. And their subsequent press release aside, we still don’t know. The statement wasn’t a testament to the present strength of their marriage, just a verification of its current status.

Now the following is just one man’s opinion, but I suspect Mo’Kelly is not alone in it.

Beyond the obvious motivations of a celebrity-driven news media, the marriage (or divorce) of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith matters, especially to African-Americans. But don’t get ahead of Mo’Kelly. There are serious underlying issues here that most news media have been loathe to discuss. Don’t assume you know where this is going.

For whatever many and unfortunate reasons, marriage within the African-American community is the exception, not the rule. You bet, I’m rooting for Will and Jada. The husband is best known for a music and acting career in no way connected to misogyny, drugs and buffoonery. His millions aren’t tainted with the stain of calling women B****s and men N****s, year after year after year. It is what separates him from the likes of a Jay-Z, who at 41 is still as lyrically irresponsible as he was at 21, disrespecting the whole of Black people for a buck. Mind you, this is after his previous career as a drug dealer.

It’s not about the money amassed, it’s about the responsibility accepted (or refused) along the way. Integrity matters. Her name is best known for co-starring in a TV shows about African-Americans in college (of all things) and running a nursing staff and a host of movies in between the two.

These facts speak to the importance of Will and Jada and their substantive contributions.

(Lord, what I wouldn’t give for another show about Black people getting their education in the 21st century.)

But I digress.

Individually and collectively the pair has done nothing to embarrasses us as African-Americans and have raised child-stars who so far seem to have their heads on straight too. I would even be willing to bet that these truths aren’t lost on the couple and adds to the tremendous burdens associated with their high-profile relationship.

I can’t speak for the millions of others who have speculated and postulated “why” their marriage is either strong or on the rocks, or what led to the rumors in the first place. For many, it was exactly that and little more; the next and latest story concerning a celebrity couple. But this couple’s significance is far greater than Bey and Jay, Brad and Angelina or Marc and Jennifer. The cultural relevance of Will and Jada far exceeds any of the aforementioned.

Will and Jada are the closest thing my generation will have to an Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Yes sir, I said it and I meant it. No, they aren’t there yet and no disrespect to anyone else…but there really isn’t anyone else on the list, truth be told.

You damn right I’m interested in whether Will and Jada are in the midst of picking out divorce lawyers and divvying up assets. Sure, there are Black power couples in Hollywood, but none boasts the visibility, respectability and dependability of these two.

None. Nope, nobody. And it’s not even close.

That’s the symbolic importance of Will and Jada…and their marriage.

This is not about unduly idolizing them, as I know neither of them personally. I’m sure that they’re just as flawed and flagrantly human as the rest of us. No amount of fame and fortune will change that. But who else has taken as much care to guard how “we” are viewed and portrayed in media, given their life and business choices? In my own selfishness, I want their marriage to remain on their résumés as one of their enduring accomplishments. In the end, it says more to African-American children than any award or acclaim the world of celebrity could give them.

Morris W. O’Kelly (Mo’Kelly) is author of the syndicated entertainment and socio-political column The Mo’Kelly Report. For more Mo’Kelly, http://mrmokelly.com. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com and he welcomes all commentary. Follow Morris W. O’Kelly on Twitter:@mrmokelly