Sheree Zampino has opened up about co-parenting with Oscar-winner Will Smith in a new interview.
Zampino, 54, and Smith, 53 were married for three years before their divorce in 1995 and share 29-year-old son Trey.
The King Richard actor married Jada Pinkett Smith in 1997 and have two children – son Jaden, 24, and daughter Willow, 21 – together.
Appearing on David Yontef’s Behind The Velvet Rope podcast on Monday (1 August), Zampino spoke about co-parenting Trey with Will in the years after their divorce.
“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.”
After their divorce, Zampino has maintained a close relationship with Will and Jada Pinkett, even appearing on the premiere episode of the latter’s Red Table Talk when they discussed what it takes to “create a blended family unit”.
“With Jada, it was like, as long as she treats [Trey] well, we’re good. We’re good. And she’s treated him well and she’s loved him,” Zampino told Yontef about her relationship with the Magic Mike XXL star.
However, she told Yontef, it hasn’t always been easy to navigate co-parenting with the Smiths.
She explained: “You got three different dynamics, three different personalities and different belief systems, different way of doing things. And there were times we have bumped heads and it hasn’t been pretty.
“But listen, we get back on that horse and we press on. We do what we have to do because again, at the end of the day, it’s about the kids.”
Zampino showed support for Will after he won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard.
Sharing a photograph of the duo posing with Will’s Oscar award, she captioned her Instagram post: “Epic night! Congratulations again – when one wins, we all win.”
The night was overshadowed by Will slapping comedian Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars over the comedian’s GI Jane joke about Jada Pinkett.
He has since apologised to Rock in a YouTube video, admitting his behaviour was “unacceptable”.
