Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Friendships Jada Pinkett Smith Opens Up About Friendship with 'Soulmate' Tupac Shakur: 'It Was Like God Made Us That Way' Pinkett Smith's new memoir hits bookshelves everywhere on Oct. 17 By Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez is a Digital News Writer at PEOPLE. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor in Journalism. Before joining the team, she worked as an Editor at FanSided and provided work in the celebrity and lifestyle space for brands that include Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, EW, and more. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 12, 2023 07:47PM EDT Tupac Shakur; Jada Pinkett Smith. Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Jada Pinkett Smith is opening up about her friendship with the late Tupac Shakur. In a new interview with RollingOut, the actress, 52, referred to the rapper as someone with whom she had a "soulmate friendship." Jada Pinkett Smith Says She and Will Smith Have Been Separated Since 2016: We Were 'Exhausted with Trying' "If there is such a thing as past lives, I definitely think that Pac and I have traveled a few together," she said when asked if she ever regretted not taking things to the next level with the musician, before replying, "It just wasn't possible." "There was no chemistry between us," she explained. The Red Table Talk alum called their connection a "friendship-love chemistry" and shared that having a future together "wasn't the purpose." "It was like God made us that way," she continued." It was like, look, I'm going to put y'all together, right? Y'all are going to be a dynamic duo. But I'm going to tell you right now, I'm going to make it so y'all are not going to be able to get together 'cause that just wasn't the purpose." Jada Pinkett Smith attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. David Livingston/Getty Pinkett Smith got married to Will Smith in 1997. While the two have been legally married for over two decades, the Set It Off actress recently revealed in a candid interview on the Today show that the two have been separated for seven years. Jada Pinkett Smith Breaks Silence on Marriage, Oscar Slap and Her Path to 'Self-Acceptance' (Exclusive) "I think we were both kind of just still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be,” she said. Speaking further about their romance in an interview with PEOPLE, she shared that their relationship is still a work in progress. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith at 2022 Critics Choice Awards. Getty Images “We’re still figuring it out,” she said. “A lot has happened. The thing about relationships is that it's constantly moving. Relationships are, it's an organism. It's its own thing. It's constantly shifting and constantly moving. There's a lot that's transpired in the last two years, and so we've been doing some really heavy-duty work together.” The two are parents to son Jaden, 25, and daughter Willow, 22. The Emancipation actor also shares son Trey, 30, with ex-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 juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Pinkett Smith is currently gearing up for the release of her new memoir, Worthy, which hits bookshelves everywhere on Oct. 17. Close