The last thing that most young people would want to happen is to see the most intimate parts of their parents’ relationship become a trending topic online, but Willow Smith is taking things in stride, all things considered. In fact, she’s actually happy that Jada Pinkett Smith’s tea was spilled all over the timeline — it was a lesson in vulnerability.
The spouses have since reconciled, standing together even while the public picked apart their untraditional marriage. For their youngest child, seeing her parents weather this major storm in such a public way was inspiring, and Willow told Jada as much on today's Facebook Watch episode of Red Table Talk.
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"I want to put it on the table: I'm so proud of you," Willow praised her mother. "To be able to see you and Dad do that, for me, that was like, OK, that's the real deal. That's real love."
"When you can be like, I'm with you, I'm going to stand by you, and I'm going to hold your hand, that's really important," she continued.
Back in July, August Alsina sent the internet into a tailspin when he revealed that he and Pinkett Smith’s relationship was way more than a platonic mentorship. According to the R&B singer, he and Pinkett Smith once had a deep and romantic connection that her husband knew about and even approved of. The admission quickly spiralled, and before long, everyone was speculating about the nature of one of the most beloved Hollywood couple’s marriage.
Taking note of the conversation, the Smiths decided to address the affair on an abbreviated episode of Red Table Talk. At the iconic red table, the HawthoRNe actress copped to being romantically involved with Alsina — kind of — sharing that she had in fact dated the younger man while she and Smith had reached a dangerously low point in their relationship.
"I got into an entanglement with August," she told her husband, who pressed her to be more specific. "It was a relationship, absolutely."
Special guest Brené Brown (an author and professor who specialises in shame and vulnerability) was the perfect guest to follow up Jada and Will's conversation. Throughout today's episode, she spoke about the necessity of being open and honest about our experiences and our feelings, praising Jada for being courageous enough to address her complicated personal life.
The fact that the "entanglement" became fodder for the gossip mill may have been unfortunate, but the conversation and personal healing that it spawned was actually a good thing.