The Will Smith And Duane Martin Rumors Explained

Will Smith is no stranger to salacious rumors about himself and his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. His sexuality, in particular, has been a topic of debate for years, with the "I Am Legend" star being called gay and even being accused of having an open marriage with Jada. The Oscar winner's close friendship with fellow actor Duane Martin has only fueled the homosexuality whispers, with some speculating that the friends are actually secret lovers. 

In a 2007 Essence interview (updated in 2020), Martin and his former spouse, Tisha Campbell, laughed off the rumors, apparently not wanting to make a big deal of the baseless chatter. However, Campbell once again addressed the allegations in a March 2012 tweet, urging people to stop spreading the lies. Unfortunately, her pleas did nothing to sway the hearsay about the longtime pals, whose friendship stems from the early 1990s, when Martin appeared on Will's hit TV sitcom, "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air." Will even lent Martin money ahead of his divorce from Campbell that ultimately left her penniless. 

Previously, both men had seemed to be unbothered by the tales. However, with the rumors resurfacing yet again, it seems the Smiths are not taking the reports so lightly this time around.

Will Smith and Duane Martin were the topic of another, more scandalous saga in November 2023. A former friend and assistant of Smith's named Bilaal sat down for an interview with YouTuber Tasha K. During the explosive chat, Bilaal declared he walked in on Smith and Martin engaging in a sex act. Bilaal says the men were inside Martin's dressing room at the time. This time, Smith's representatives gave a statement to TMZ, slamming the allegations. "This story is completely fabricated, and the claim is unequivocally false," they said. Martin refused to acknowledge the situation when the publication reached out to his camp for comment on the outlandish story. However, Jada Pinkett-Smith had a lot to say on the matter.

Days after the interview appeared online, Jada joined The Breakfast Club to deny the allegations. She explained that Bilaal is a disgruntled former employee and potential business partner of Smith's who felt he was not properly compensated. She even revealed that Bilaal previously tried to "shake down" the couple with similar claims. Now, the Smiths are planning to sue over his statements, evidently all out of patience with such accounts. 

Years ago, gossip blogs probed into Duane Martin and Will Smith's relationship after the two were spotted on vacation in December 2011. Star Magazine [via Bossip] broke the story that Smith and Martin were seen partying in Trinidad without their wives. The men allegedly spent time together on a yacht and had dinner, with the outlet declaring that Smith was not wearing his wedding ring. Days later, the men flew to Miami together, where they hung out a bit more before Jada Pinkett-Smith eventually joined her husband.

Aside from their Trinidad getaway, Smith and Martin had been accused of taking several other trips together, including to Las Vegas. Even with this vacation, Jada and Tisha Campbell were not present. It was also reported that Jada allegedly wasn't fond of the bromance. In fact, insiders told the outlet that Smith and Martin spending so much time together was straining the Smith marriage and had the potential to break the couple up. 

While promoting her memoir, "Worthy" in October 2023, Jada revealed that she and Will have been separated since 2016. However, there is no official word on whether the friendship between Will and Martin was to blame.