Will Smith is his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith’s, friend and the absolute love of her life, but as many of us now know, there is also another ‘friend,’ who will always hold a sacred piece of Jada’s her heart- the late Tupac Shakur. Jada has made it no secret that she truly loved her high school homie, ‘Pac, and when ‘Pac was alive, he let his love for Jada be known as well.

Many have speculated that Tupac and Jada dated at some point during their years growing up together in Baltimore (‘Pac later moved to Oakland, CA). However, Jada is adamant that they were not holding hands and slow dancing to Keith Sweat’s and Al B. Sure’s cassette tapes in their in their 1980’s high school days. Well…except that one time Jada reportedly admitted to kissing ‘Pac, only to quickly realize that they both preferred being friends instead, but I digress…

Anywho, Jada began dating Will Smith in 1995 and married him in 1997- the year after her best friend, Tupac, was shot and killed in Las Vegas. Understanding just how much ‘Pac meant to Jada, Will didn’t mind the beautiful and expensive honor she wanted to bestow upon ‘Pac, to keep his memory alive.

The Million Dollar Tribute Jada Gave Tupac

In 2006, Jada decided to make a $1million donation in ‘Pac’s honor, through the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation, to her’s and Tupac’s former high school, Baltimore School for the Arts. Her only request of the school, was that it renamed it’s theater after Tupac Shakur. The donation also helped with the school’s expansion, so that it could ultimately enroll more students.

Via Today: “It means a lot when you’re a teacher and your most famous alumnus comes back to give a donation,” said Donald Hicken, head of the school’s theater department since its founding in 1980 and Pinkett Smith’s former theater teacher. “It really says a lot to the community that the school matters in people’s lives.”

Karen Banfield Evans, executive director of the Smith Family Foundation, and Pinkett Smith’s aunt, said the actress was moved by the school’s advances since she graduated.

Tupac met Jada at that Baltimore performing arts school and he often credited his experiences there for helping to mold his artistic abilities.

Jada Tears Up While Confessing What ‘Pac Meant To Her

Although there were no flames supposedly between them, Jada said Tupac was like a father figure and brother to her when they were teens. In a prior interview, Jada became emotional, while remembering the impact ‘Pac had on her life…

Jada: “It was the first day at Baltimore School for the Arts and he [Tupac] came over to me and introduced himself. […] As soon as he approached me, he was like a magnet. … Once you paid attention to him, he kinda sucked you in and we hit it off from that moment on. he would tell me all the time, ‘Jada you’re gonna be a star.’ I don’t think either one of us would’ve thought that we would’ve made it in the way that we did, but we knew we were gon’ do something.”

Jada began to break down while discussing what ‘Pac meant to her:

“He was one of my best friends. He was like a brother” [Jada pauses to try to control her tears]. “He was …I mean, it was beyond friendship for us. … It’s really difficult to explain because, the type of friendship we had, you only get that once in a lifetime,” Jada managed to say through her grief.

Tupac also expressed his love for Jada in prior interviews:

Tupac: “Jada’s me heart…she will be my FRIEND for my whole life. We’ll be old together. She could have my one heart, my liver, my lungs, my kidneys, my blood, marrow, all of that.”

Tupac’s Love Letter To Jada Surfaces

Following the tragic death of Tupac in 1996, many folks started diggin’ deeper into who he was, not just as a hip hop legend, but as a Tupac Shakur- the human being, the man. All sorts of treasures were found, including one of the ‘love/friendship’ letters ‘Pac wrote to Jada. Eventually, the letter kinda faded into existence for many years, but has again resurfaced, following the release of the 2017 Tupac biopic, All Eyez On Me. His words to Jada are a true testament to just how much he loved his homegirl…and many say believe it’s also a testament of how IN love ‘Pac secretly appeared to be with Jada Pinkett-Smith. Here’s what ‘Pac wrote to Jada:

“U will never fully understand how deeply my heart feels 4 U. I worry that we will grow apart and I’ll end up losing U. U bring me 2 climax without sex and you do it all with such regal grace. U are my heart in human form, a friend I could never replace.” -Tupac

They say time heals all wounds, but when it comes to bonds as tight as the one between Tupac and Jada Pinkett-Smith, I beg to differ. Even today, Jada still tears up when discussing ‘Pac, as she did during a recent interview on Sway in the Morning. So maybe the old saying should be changed to ‘Time may heal some wounds, while allowing other wounds to eventually become somewhat bearable…but never healed.’ Rest on ‘Pac.