Today is a special day for hip hop not only because of the premiere of Tupac’s long-awaited biopic All Eyez On Me, but it’s also Pac’s birthday. This makes it all the more unfortunate that someone very close to him is hella disappointed right now.
The rapper’s friendship with Jada Pinkett-Smith has been a well-documented part of his legacy, but the actress isn’t at all happy with how their relationship played out in the new film. Jada hopped on Twitter today to express her disapproval of the biopic, claiming that many of the events portraying the nature of their friendship aren’t even true.
Forgive me… my relationship to Pac is too precious to me for the scenes in All Eyez On Me to stand as truth.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 16, 2017
Pac never read me that poem. I didn't know that poem existed until it was printed in his book.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 16, 2017
Pac never said goodbye to me before leaving for LA. He had to leave abruptly and it wasn't to pursue his career.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 16, 2017
I've never been to any of Pac's shows by his request. We never had an argument backstage.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 16, 2017
Overall, Jada blames the films creators for their lack of research but still applauds lead actors Demetrius Shipp Jr (Tupac) and Kat Graham (Jada) for a job well done. Though disappointed with how the film turned out, the memory of Pac is not lost on Jada. “Happy birthday Pac, you are cradled in my heart for eternity. I love you,” she writes in her final tweet.
The reimagining of my relationship to Pac has been deeply hurtful.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 16, 2017
To @KatGraham and @Dshippjr this is no fault of yours. Thank you for bringing so much heart and spirit to your roles.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 16, 2017
You both did a beautiful job with what you were given. Thank you both.
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 16, 2017
Happy birthday Pac, you are cradled in my heart for eternity.
I love you.— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 16, 2017
Long before Jada Pinkett Smith and Tupac Shakur were household names, the two aspiring artists were classmates and BFFs at Baltimore School for the Arts in Maryland. In a throwback interview clip, Jada recalls meeting Pac for the first time. “As soon as he approached me, he was like a magnet. Once you paid attention to him he kind of sucked you in. And we hit it off from that moment on… I don’t think either one of us thought we would have made it in the way that we did, but we knew we were gonna do something.”
Though the pair were super close, they’ve always denied ever having a romantic relationship. The two were not on speaking terms when Pac was murdered in 1996.
On the anniversary of Tupac’s death, artist Trina and Love & Hip Hop stars Stevie J, Yandy and Karlie Redd remember his legacy.