In the latest episode of her Facebook Watch series, Pinkett Smith and her husband sat down to talk about her affair with singer and songwriter August Alsina: "I felt like it was important to really come to the table to clear the air."
In the latest episode of her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith sat down together to have a conversation about their relationship and recent headlines about her affair with singer and songwriter August Alsina.
“I felt like it was important to come to the table to really clear the air,” Pinkett Smith said to her husband at the top of the show. “One of the reasons why I wanted to come to the table is the media, the headlines — we specifically never said anything,” added Smith. “We were purposely not saying anything, any headline that says ‘Jada said’ or ‘Will said’ or ‘the Smiths said’ is not true, we specifically never said anything. So coming to the table was like it just felt like it got to the point where you got to say something.”
Pinkett Smith went on to say that, four and a half years ago, she started a friendship with Alsina, who was in a fragile mental state at the time. “The outpouring for him from our family was initially about his health,” said Smith, with Pinkett Smith adding that their marriage was going through “a very difficult time” at that stage.
“I was done with your ass… I was done with you,” said Smith. “Marriages have that, though.”
With the couple agreeing that they had separated at that time, Pinkett Smith explained that she entered an “entanglement” with Alsina. “And one thing I want to get clear about and clean up, one of the things that was kind of swirling in the press about you giving permission, which is, you know the only person who could give permission in that particular circumstance is myself,” Pinkett Smith said.
Smith added that he’d like to clarify that it was more than “an entanglement,” it was a “relationship,” to which Pinkett Smith agreed. “Yes, it was a relationship, absolutely. I was in a lot of pain and I was very broken,” she said. “Now in the process of that relationship I definitely realized that you can’t find happiness outside of yourself.”
Asked by Smith what she was specifically looking for with Alsina, Pinkett Smith responded that she “just wanted to feel good. It had been so long since I felt good. And it was really a joy to just help heal somebody.” She added that it may have had a lot to do with her co-dependency, which is something she had to learn to break. “That idea of needing to fix, being drawn to people that need help. Whether it’s your health or whether it’s your addictions, there’s something about that childhood trauma that feels as though it can be fixed through fixing people, versus fixing me.”
She went on to say, “That whole process with Aug really showed me that and taught me that. And I’m really grateful for that lesson.” Pinkett Smith added that she was able to confront her own “emotional immaturity” and insecurity, and do some “deep healing.” At some point in the entanglement with Alsina, Pinkett Smith says he stopped all communication with her, and she let that be. “Aug and I haven’t talked in so long.”
The couple also briefly addressed their casual demeanors at the red table, noting that it may feel odd for people to see them laughing and talking about this incident that happened years ago.
“I’m grateful for the journey you and I have had together, said Pinkett Smith, “because I feel like there are a lot of couples that go through those periods, and a lot of couples that have to separate and think it’s over, and you know, one thing I’ll say about you and I is that there has never been secrets.”
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
