Last month, singer August Alsina caused a frenzy on the Internet when he shared that he previously had a years-long relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith.
August’s statement garnered even more attention when he claimed that Jada’s husband, actor Will Smith had given him his “blessing,” something which Jada’s team reportedly denied.
On her Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk, Jada sat down with Will to bring some clarity to the situation. “I felt like it was important to come to the table to really clear the air,” Jada began.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to come to the table is the media, the headlines - we specifically never said anything,” Will added, noting that any prior headlines attributing statements to them were not true. “It got to the point where you gotta say something.”
Jada, who has been married to Will since 1997, called August’s statements and the media attention that followed “A situation that I consider private.” But the 48-year-old hoped to bring “healing” by finally speaking out.
“I’m here with you,” Will said, to which Jada replied, “I thank you for that because you’ve been on a hell of a journey with me.”
Jada explained that she first struck up a friendship with August, 27, about four and a half years ago (she was reportedly introduced to him through her and Will’s son Jaden).
“It all started with him just needing some help, me wanting to help his health, his mental state,” Jada said. “When Aug first came around, he was really sick,” Will confirmed.
“We found all those different resources to help pull him through and from there you and I were going through a very difficult time,” Jada shared, noting that she and Will had broken up.
“We decided that we were going to separate for a period of time and you go figure out how to make yourself happy and I’ll figure out how to make myself happy. I really felt like we could be over,” Will added of the state of their marriage.
“From there, as time went on, I got into a different kind of entanglement with August,” Jada said, later clarifying (at Will’s request) that “Yes, it was a relationship absolutely” that she’d had with August.
“One thing I want to clean up...about you giving 'permission' which is... the only person that can give permission in that circumstance is myself,” Jada emphasized of August’s statement that Will gave him his “blessing” regarding the relationship.
“But what August was probably trying to communicate because I could see how he could see it as permission because we were separated amicably, and I think he also wanted to make it clear that he’s not a homewrecker because he’s not,” she continued.
“I was in a lot of pain, and I was very broken. Luckily enough, you and I were also going through a process of healing in a much different manner. I would definitely say we did everything we could to get away from each other, only to realize that that wasn’t possible.” Jada said, noting that she “learned so much” about herself during her relationship with August.
“I was really able to do some really deep healing, and as I came through and started to realize certain things about you and I, he decided to break all communication with me which was totally understandable. And I let that be and hadn't talked to him since so it is a little weird that all this stuff is coming out now” Jada said, referring back to August’s interview with Angela Lee.
“We have really gotten to that new place of unconditional love,” Jada later said of her reconciliation with Will.
“I wasn’t sure I was ever going to speak to you again,” Will said, adding with a laugh, “The fact that I’m speaking to you again is a miracle. There’s a real power in just knowing somebody is riding with you no matter what, and you really can’t know that until you go through some stuff,” he added.
“I didn’t know if you would be willing to find the deep capacity to love me,” Jada said of their 25+ years relationship.
“How am I doing?” Will asked. “You’re doing f***ing great,” Jada responded.
