Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Sell Comedy to ABC
Power couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith has sold a multi-camera comedy series to ABC this week.
Recent reports indicated trouble in the marriage of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, but their business collaboration further confirms the couple’s denial of a split.
The pair’s long-time business partner James Lassiter worked on the comedy project, the “Untitled Romeo Project,” which has Anthony “Romeo” Santos in mind to star.
Santos has established widespread fame in Latin America as a singer, winning “Favorite Latin Music Artist” at the 2009 AMA’s, and was invited to play at the White House the same year. Formerly the lead singer of the group Aventura, the 30-year-old has been a key figure in popularizing the Bachata style of music, which incorporates reggae sounds and originated in the Dominican Republic.
The Latin actor will play a conflicted Dominican-American man from Brooklyn, New York on the new series. The character is derived in part from Santos’s real father-son relationship, and will follow his struggle to appease his immigrant father while creating his Americanized life.
Acting as writers and executive producers, Chris Pappas and Mike Bernier of “Unhitched” and “One Night Stan” are working with the Smiths and Lassiter on the project.
The Smith couple already has films “The Karate Kid” and “The Secret Life of Bees” under their name, as well as Broadway’s “Fela!” and TNT’s “Hawthorne.”
Celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary this year, Will and Jada Smith share two children together, in addition to Will’s son Trey from a previous marriage. Facing In Touch magazine’s report that they were divorcing, they couple released a statement denying the rumors.
“Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together and our marriage is intact,” said a statement released by the couple’s publicist.