Samuel L. Jackson Shares The Powerful Secret To His 44-Year Marriage To LaTanya Richardson Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson and his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson have maintained a strong and private marriage for decades.
Having been married for 44 years, their relationship is often admired, but Jackson acknowledges that their journey has had its challenges just like any other marriage.
In a recent interview for 'AARP The Magazine,' the 75-year-old shared that the key to their union is "a lot of tolerance, because everybody's got flaws, and not giving up when it would be easy to give up."
He added: "I've done [things] in my marriage that's crazy, you know? She has, too, in her head, or whatever in reality, but you got to go, 'Is that a breakup offense? Or is it just that we need to spend a little time together and get some understanding about it?' "
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Jackson also emphasized the importance of accepting one's partner for who they truly are.
"There are certain things that you learn to ignore about people — that she's learned to ignore about me. And one of the things she had to accept is that I'm going to go to work," the 'Pulp Fiction' actor said. "I'm going to go to work all the time until, you know, it's time." His dedication to his career — which has included over 120 film roles, is something his wife has come to understand and accept over the years.
Early in his career in the 1970s, the Washington, D.C., native battled a drug addiction. Jackson credits Richardson for helping him overcome this difficult time. During an interview with 'PEOPLE,' Jackson revealed how he "had basically moved into the basement of our brownstone. I was like the troll in the basement... I was addicted and being crazy."
His addiction reached a breaking point when Richardson, 74, and daughter Zoe Jackson found him unconscious after cooking cocaine in the kitchen, leading him to seek help.
In a '60 Minutes' interview in 2019, Jackson shared that he entered rehab the very next day, without resistance.
"I didn't go kicking and screaming, I was tired," he said. He's been sober since 1991, and he deeply appreciates Richardson for standing by him during those dark times.
"I credit her because she could've just taken Zoe and walked out and been done with me," Jackson said. "But she didn't. That's a greater love than I will ever know."
