Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith typically have high profiles anyway, but their “personal journey” became “very public” a few months ago when a man Jada Pinkett Smith had what she proclaimed to be an “entanglement” with came forward to reveal that affair to the public. The man, August Alsina, shared details about that affair, prompting Will and Jada to open up about their own marriage. Now, their 19-year-old daughter Willow Smith has finally spoken out.
Willow Smith, a performer in her own right, often joins Jada Pinkett Smith’s “Red Table Talk” to discuss personal feelings and experiences. This week, Jada Pinkett Smith brought herself back to the table to talk about going public about the August Alsina entanglement, calling it a “total breakdown of any mask.” Willow Smith also wanted to share her own thoughts about how her mother responded, noting,
I want to put it on the table. I'm so proud of you. 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 standing by you. And I’m going to hold your hand because I love you.’ That’s what we do. And that’s really important.
The three ladies on the “Red Table Talk” – Willow Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and “Gam” Adrienne Banfield-Jones -- were speaking to Brene Brown about mental and emotional struggles. Banfield-Jones admitted she is someone who is concerned with what other people think of her, but Brene Brown mentions that part of being brave enough to show up for yourself is being both “real” and “vulnerable.”
I’d say Jada Pinkett Smith was pretty “real” and “vulnerable” when she spoke out about her relationship with August Alsina, an “entanglement” that occurred when she and her longtime husband Will Smith were dealing with some relationship issues leading to a separation, a break-up in their marriage that had been well-documented before the Alsina information came to light. She and Smith both felt as if they needed to speak out about what happened so that the rumor mill would stop running rampant with information they felt was unfair or untrue.
For his part, August Alsina also dealt publicly with the affair, explaining he shared the information because his personal life was "impacting" his business life. He later released a song detailing more about the affair and the subsequent 2020 drama.
As parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been known to be pretty open and not particularly rule-laden with their two now-adult children, Willow and Jaden. So, it’s not a huge surprise Jada Pinkett Smith wanted to have a straightforward conversation with Willow and her mother about bringing herself to the table to discuss what happened with Alsina. It sounds like the lesson Willow took from the whole experience was that her parents are strong people who have maintained “love” over a lengthy period of time.
