Will Smith Reminisces On His High School Sweetheart

Will Smith is one of the few black men who have made a name in the film industry. Having garnered enough fame and wealth during his storied Hollywood career, the A-lister has decided to share the most intimate parts of himself to fans through his recently released memoir "Will."

One of the tidbits Smith revealed showed fans that he had his first live-in girlfriend while he was still in high school. Such a situation was a rare occurrence in his teenage days and is also not seen in recent times, which then poses the question - of how the award-winning actor pulled off the act.

In his new book, Smith wrote about why and how he convinced his parents to allow his high school girlfriend, Melanie Parker, to stay in their home.

On first thought, many might assume that Smith wanted Parker to stay because it would be easier to have intimate moments with her. However, his decision spawned mainly out of his empathy for her dire situation.

At the time, Parker was living with her aunt in Philadelphia, where Smith was also residing. Smith was smitten with Parker and would carry her bag home to spend time with her.

However, Parker's aunt proved to be the obstacle to their young love. She was a strict Muslim and therefore had harsh rules about how a teenage girl should behave. On one occasion, Parker's aunt threw her out on the street after they argued.

"I never quite got the whole story, but on one occasion, Melanie and her aunt had a serious disagreement about something, which escalated to the point that her aunt threw Melanie out of the house," he wrote.

"Legally, without a place to stay, Melanie could have been sent back to Minneapolis and placed into foster care. I was panic-stricken. I told Mom-Mom the whole story and begged her to let Melanie stay with us."

Knowing he might never see his girlfriend again if she moved to another city, Smith made an impassioned plea to his parents after telling them about Parker's situation.

He wrote, "'Mom, it will only be for a little while,' I said. 'I'll get a job, do whatever I have to do to get a bunch of money, and me and Melanie will get our own place. I love her, Mommy. Please can she stay with us till I can figure it out?'"

Meanwhile, Smith's Dad refused to accept his plea. He knew that his son loved her and wanted to help, but he felt that it would only serve as an opportunity for them to fool around.

His reply was, "Oh, hell no! 'Car'lyn,[Smith's mother] you know what they gon' be doin."

Smith felt he was fighting a losing battle. In a last-ditch effort to convince his parents, he promised them that no hanky-panky would go on during Parker's stay with them. His mom was finally convinced and allowed her to stay, although Smith's dad still had his reservations.

The arrangement was only temporary. Parker lived in their basement until her aunt changed her decision and allowed her to move back in. The incident inspired Smith, who was 16, to strive harder to build a comfortable life for himself and Parker.

"By the grace of God, those few days at Woodcrest allowed Melanie's aunt to calm down and let her move back in," the actor wrote in his autobiography. "I was only 16 but determined more than ever to get us our own place so Melanie and I could build a life together."

Like most high school relationships, Smith and Parker did not get married despite the initial love they shared. They broke up after a while, and Smith moved on to attain fame as a rapper and actor.

Smith later fell in love and married Sheree Zampino in 1992. The pair shared a son Willard and got divorced in 1995.

In 1997, Smith married actress Jada Koren Pinkett. They met when Pinkett auditioned for a role in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." The couple has two children, Jaden, and Willow, who are also actors and singers.

After more than two decades of marriage, Smith and Pinkett have not split ways even when their relationship faced numerous controversies. For fans, it seems like the pair will stay together forever.