The rumors likely began in the 90s, when the actors first became friends.
Key Takeaways
- While there has been no evidence, the rumor of a gay affair between Will Smith and Duane Martin has persisted for a long time.
- In 2011, gossip blogs reported on alleged vacations Will and Duane took without their wives’ presence.
- In 2023, a former assistant of Will Smith claimed to have witnessed the actors engaging in se*ual activity.
The rumors surrounding the alleged gay affair between actors Duane Martin and Will Smith have been circulating for decades.
The two stars have been friends since Martin appeared on Smith’s hit TV show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” in the 1990s.
They have remained friends to this day. Smith even helped Martin financially following his divorce in 2020, which left him penniless.
It is unknown when exactly the speculations first surfaced, but in 2007, in an interview with Essense, Martin and his then-wife, Tisha Campbell, laughed off the rumors as baseless chatter.
In 2011, Gossip blogs added fuel to the fire by reporting on Will and Martin’s vacation to Trinidad, allegedly without their wives.
They mentioned that the friends spent time on a yacht and had romantic dinners, and Will was spotted not wearing his wedding ring.
They were also reported to have taken many other trips together, including to Las Vegas.
Tisha and Will’s wife, Jada Smith, were allegedly not present this time around either.
Campbell was forced to address the rumors again in 2012 and took to Twitter (now X) to squash them.
Needless to say, this did nothing to sway the public from the topic.
It again became a hot topic in 2023, when Will Smith’s former assistant, Brother Bilaal, appeared on the podcast “Unwine with Tasha K.“
Bilaal said that he once witnessed Duane and his former boss engaging in physical intimacy.
He quoted,
I opened the door to Duane’s dressing room and that’s when I see Duane having an*l s*x with Will.
Via YouTube
This time around, however, Will and Jada were not so passive about the allegation.
The Smiths’ representative gave a statement to TMZ calling heresy. He quoted,
This story is completely fabricated and the claim is unequivocally false.
Via Times Of India
They’ve dealt with — and ignored — innuendo and homophobic rumors for years.
Will and Jada agree that this is just another someone attempting to capitalize on their celebrity. They are going to sue them.
As the story garnered intense coverage on social media and gossip sites, the Smiths were forced to address the rumor personally.
Jada personally talked about Brother Bilaal’s claims in an episode of “The Breakfast Club,” pointing out the story’s “ridiculous” nature.
She added,
This is a person that tried a shakedown—a money shakedown—that didn’t work; we’re gonna take legal action.
Via Parade
It’s one thing to have your opinion about somebody, versus just making up salacious, malicious stories. That’s actionable, so we’re gonna roll with that.
Martin refused to address the comments.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Duane Martin and Tisha Campbell married in 1996. Their divorce in 2020 was a public and bitter affair.
- Before pursuing acting, Duane Martin was a talented basketball player who played in the NCAA Division III basketball at New York University.
- Besides acting, Tisha is also a talented singer. She released her debut album, titled “Tisha,” in 1993.
