Will Smith Says Wife Jada Pinkett Smith Is 'One of the Most Gangsta Ride-or-Die's I've Ever Had'

After two decades of marriage, Will Smith still knows his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, has his back.

Will, 55, caught up with Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday, May 15 at a screening of his upcoming action movie, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, where the outlet asked him to name those in his life who he considers a "ride or die."

"It's funny, I was just talking about this, I have always been blessed that there has never been a time in my life when I didn't look to the side and have a ride or die right there," Smith said. "Jada is one of the most gangsta ride-or-die's I've ever had."

In addition to Jada, 52, Will also listed longtime friends and collaborators of his, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribieiro, as "ride-or-die" people in his life.

The Men in Black star and Jada first met on the set of the former's hit series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in 1994 when she auditioned to play his on-screen girlfriend. Jada did not get the role, but the pair later began dating some time after Will separated from his first wife, Sheree Zampino.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Will and Jada first stepped out together as a couple in 1995. They then got engaged in November 1997 before getting married on Dec. 31, 1997 in Baltimore, when Jada was three months pregnant with their son, Jaden Smith. Since then, the couple have welcomed Jaden, 25, and their daughter Willow Smith, 23; Will also shares his oldest son, Trey Smith, 31, with his ex-wife.

In October 2023, Jada revealed during an interview on Today that she and Will have been separated since 2016. However, by December, the Girls Trip star told the Daily Mail's YOU Magazine that Will's infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars with Chris Rock actually helped save the couple's marriage.

"I nearly didn’t even attend the Oscars that year, but I’m glad I did," she said at the time. "I call it the 'holy slap' now because so many positive things came after it."

"That moment of the s--- hitting the fan is when you see where you really are. After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him," she added. "Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?"

Will and Jada smiled together in a recent photo the actor shared on Instagram for Easter on March 31, posing with the rest of their family.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!