--- title: Will Smith Credits Cheating Ex Girlfriend for His Fame description: He had a "bizarre psychological twist" canonical: https://time.com/4135239/will-smith-ex-girlfriend-fame/ author: Samantha Grossman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-03T20:51:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:54.477Z og:title: Will Smith Says He's Famous Thanks to a Cheating Ex-Girlfriend og:description: He had a "bizarre psychological twist" og:url: https://time.com/4135239/will-smith-ex-girlfriend-fame/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8915dc6fc16c9a29/698873b8524fc0651adf5c07/gettyimages-499192312.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Screening Of Columbia Pictures' "Concussion" - Arrivals og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Will Smith Says He's Famous Thanks to a Cheating Ex-Girlfriend twitter:description: He had a "bizarre psychological twist" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8915dc6fc16c9a29/698873b8524fc0651adf5c07/gettyimages-499192312.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Will Smith Says He's Famous Thanks to a Cheating Ex-Girlfriend > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ead33bf8-3dcf-4ded-b8b7-a9553f9851d4&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ead33bf8-3dcf-4ded-b8b7-a9553f9851d4&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=ead33bf8-3dcf-4ded-b8b7-a9553f9851d4&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ead33bf8-3dcf-4ded-b8b7-a9553f9851d4&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far) [Watch (HLS stream): The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/S3M25t5U.m3u8) (4:16)  _Published 2012-05-17. TIME movie critic, Richard Corliss lists his top films of the millennium (Thus Far). For the full, list go to time.com/entertainment_ by [Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Dec 3, 2015 8:51 PM UTC  ctor Will Smith attends a screening of "Concussion" at Regency Village Theatre on November 23, 2015 in Westwood, California. ctor Will Smith attends a screening of "Concussion" at Regency Village Theatre on November 23, 2015 in Westwood, California. Jason LaVeris—FilmMagic/Getty Images by [Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Dec 3, 2015 8:51 PM UTC Will Smith has revealed the secret behind his fame and success: an unfaithful ex. In [an interview](http://variety.com/2015/film/awards/benicio-del-toro-will-smith-concussion-sicario-1201650360/) for _Variety_’s “Actors on Actors” special, the 47-year-old told fellow actor Benicio Del Toro that teenage heartbreak is what ultimately inspired him to go into show business. “When I was 15, my girlfriend cheated on me,” Smith says. “And from that moment, in this bizarre psychological twist, I wanted to be the most famous entertainer on Earth, because I believed that your girlfriend couldn’t cheat on you.” He added that it was a “really bizarre psychological leap” and he looks for that similar experience in his characters. In his newest film, _Concussion,_ Smith plays forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, who studies brain trauma in professional football players. _Read next:_ [_The_](http://time.com/4021944/quincy-jones-borowitz-fresh-prince-bel-air-anniversary/)[ Fresh Prince _Turns 25: The Show’s Creators on Will Smith, Reboots and Race_](http://time.com/4021944/quincy-jones-borowitz-fresh-prince-bel-air-anniversary/) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Hi I'm Richard Corliss, Time Magazine movie critic, to show you my infallible or highly debatable selection of the movies of the millennium. [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] Stronger. In a way, these movies, made in the last 12 years, cover the whole history of movies. [ SOUND ] You'll also find a few films that look forward to the stories and techniques of the next hundred years. The fellowship awaits the ring bearer. [ MUSIC ] The Artist. It's a movie set in Hollywood's silent era and it's virtually wordless. Is that a gimmick? Nope. A sustained cinematic inspiration. Deserving of every prize it received, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. This tres French film was also the most classically American picture of its time. [ SOUND ] Found something. The Hurt Locker. US soldiers coming to Iraq knew what to expect: 130 degree heat. And streets full of men, women, and kids, [ CROSSTALK ] any one of whom could detonate a bomb that would blow Americans and Iraqis to bits. What's the best way to, to go about disarming one of these things? The [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ LAUGH ] That's a good one. Determined to get the facts straight, not to score political points. Kathryn Bigelow made an honest, searing war film that fully deserved its Oscar for Best Picture. It's just 39 days. 38 if we survive today. [ SOUND ] Avatar. James Cameron's science fiction 3D film does what fantasy is supposed to do. Create a total environmental experience. Viewers don't just visit the Pandora rainforest, like the movie's paraplegic hero Jake, they find their legs and quickly their home there. To become [ UNKNOWN ]. Hunter, you must choose you're own ikran, and he must choose you. [ NOISE ]. For a sensational, seductive movie immersion, Avatar has it all over Cameron's previous blockbuster. This film is truly titanic. [ SOUND ] The lord of the rings trilogy. Two forms are daring on display here, Peter Jackson's for synopsizing tokens novels into three spectacular three hour films. And the commercial daring of new lines cinema which financed a $ 300 million three part telling of the token saga. Before a single frame had been shot. Will you look into the mirror? What will I see? Even the wisest cannot tell, for the mirror shows many things. [ SOUND ] The movies of the past dozen years, will be remembered for their technical wizardry and digital sheen. Wall- E has all that. [ SOUND ] Plus a toy- meets- girl love story as pure as any in the cinema's first 100 years. This Pixar animated feature, designed as family entertainment, had a bold vision both in story and in sound. [ SOUND ] There's plenty of space out in space, female star liners leaving each day. We'll clean up the mess while you're away. And when Wall E meets his sleek robot Eve, they inhabit a sci fi cyborg romance for the ages. [ SOUND ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4135239/will-smith-ex-girlfriend-fame/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4135239/will-smith-ex-girlfriend-fame/"},"headline":"Will Smith Says He's Famous Thanks to a Cheating Ex-Girlfriend","datePublished":"2015-12-03T20:51:25.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:47:54.477Z","description":"He had a \"bizarre psychological twist\"","url":"https://time.com/4135239/will-smith-ex-girlfriend-fame/","keywords":["Newsfeed","celebrity"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8915dc6fc16c9a29/698873b8524fc0651adf5c07/gettyimages-499192312.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Samantha Grossman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8915dc6fc16c9a29/698873b8524fc0651adf5c07/gettyimages-499192312.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Screening Of Columbia Pictures' \"Concussion\" - Arrivals","caption":"Screening Of Columbia Pictures' \"Concussion\" - Arrivals","creditText":"Jason LaVeris—FilmMagic/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4135239/will-smith-ex-girlfriend-fame/","name":"Will Smith Says He's Famous Thanks to a Cheating Ex-Girlfriend"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)","description":"TIME movie critic, Richard Corliss lists his top films of the millennium (Thus Far). For the full, list go to time.com/entertainment","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/S3M25t5U/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2012-05-17T00:06:49.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/S3M25t5U.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4135239/will-smith-ex-girlfriend-fame/","duration":"PT4M16S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4135239/will-smith-ex-girlfriend-fame/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```