The biggest ‘red flag’ when a separated couple attempts to reconcile

US actress Jada Pinkett Smith said she would never divorce her Hollywood star husband Will Smith because doing so would feel like “quitting”.

The power couple have been together for more than two decades and have openly discussed their unconventional relationship.

Jada and Will married in 1997 and have two children together: Jaden, 27, and Willow, 25.

For years, the couple faced rumours of trouble brewing in their relationship before Jada confirmed in a candid interview with US talk show Today that they have been separated since 2016, though they kept the split a secret from the public for years.

Despite the separation, the couple have continued to support each other, work on their relationship and appear together at family events.

In an interview with podcaster Jay Shetty, the actress explained why she and Will haven’t divorced, despite having been separated for seven years.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Why don’t you just get divorced?’ And it’s like, that’s like quitting,” Jada said.

“I don’t think there’s any person that could embrace the best and the worst of me and be able, be willing to hold space in the way that Will holds space for me, and the way that I hold space for him.”

The couple have both openly agreed to “reconcile” their marriage, but is there always a way back to each other?

The Feel Good Clinic principal clinical psychologist Mary Bonich told 7NEWS.com.au separation doesn’t mean a relationship is permanently over.

“Sometimes we just need a little distance from a relationship before we can properly understand what was happening within it and gain perspective on why it wasn’t working,” Bonich said.

“Time apart gives both parties the opportunity to reflect on what went wrong, the role they each played in the relationship breaking down and whether they genuinely want to reconnect.

“However, reconciliation is much more likely to succeed when the goal is not simply to return to the relationship exactly as it was.”

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and her actor husband Michael Douglas had a brief, temporary separation in August 2013 after 13 years of marriage.