The Downfall of The Smiths — Will the Real Will and Jada Please Stand Up?

When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over Rock’s tepid joke at the 2022 Oscars, people immediately blamed Jada Pinkett Smith. In a recent interview with Hoda Kotb for TODAY, Jada herself described the backlash, saying that the public thought of her as “the adultress wife” who “made Will Smith go to ‘Red Table Talk‘ to discuss her extra-marital affair with August Alsina and “now look at what she’s done. She has the power with an eyeroll to make him go up and slap somebody on stage.” Funny enough, as a blogger with an upper-level legal education who is by no means a troll — Jada’s characterization is EXACTLY what I thought. Though we are all responsible for our own acts, especially when they involve physical violence, Will Smith looked completely unhinged on Oscar night, and I could not help but wonder if his tumultuous personal life was to blame. Call me traditional, but a husband sitting beside his wife as she publicly discusses her “entanglement” with a much younger man who made her happy in a way her husband could not, could take a mental and emotional toll on said husband.

For those who do not know, ‘Red Table Talk’ was a talk show on on Facebook Watch hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, her daughter Willow Smith, and her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris. The series featured candid conversations about relationships, family dynamics, mental health, addiction and other personal and social issues. Most importantly, the show was marketed as the mecca of truth talking. Jada often discussed how she made her marriage to Will Smith work, implying that the couple had risen above many of their past challenges and they were proud to say that “divorce is not an option.” For years there were rumors that the twosome had an open marriage and they vehemently denied it. It was not until August Alsina exposed his years long relationship with Jada, that the façade began to crack. The Smiths were now forced to address the state of their union, and they did it at the Red Table. Only they didn’t really do it. They simply revealed that they had briefly separated, NOT that they weren’t together at all. Though “divorce” might not be an option, a long-term separation certainly was. We now know that the power couple have been living separately for SEVEN years. For all intents and purposes — they are divorced.

Hollywood is a funny place. When you live here, you’ll often hear tales of A-lister adultery, drug use, and open relationships, and it’s always met with my personal eyeroll. “Why would anyone fake their relationship for YEARS,” I’d ask in the most agitated of tones, often chalking these rumors up to conspiracy theories. Then I’d think of Rock Hudson and remind myself that all things are possible. BUT there hasn’t been a Rock Hudson-style fake marriage in decades…until now.

Jada and Will faked it. And they REALLY faked it. They walked red carpets, they joked about keeping their relationship hot, they hosted people at their home for ‘Red Table Talk,’ and so on. And why would anyone put so much effort into faking a relationship? Because Jada and Will were a brand, and it served their brand to stay together. Now that Will’s reputation is irreparably tarnished, it no longer serves a purpose to pretend. Jada’s press tour to promote her new book, ‘Worthy,’ is simply another attempt to preserve a public image that was erroneously predicated on authenticity and honesty. Good luck. We’ve seen the wizard, and we’re not going back.

Jada Pinkett Smith Tries and Fails to Knock Sense Into T.I.

I appreciate Jada Pinkett Smith’s efforts to turn T.I.’s horrific “protection” of his daughter’s hymen into a “teachable moment,” but not even Jada can jam sense into T.I’s tiny brain. While visiting Red Table Talk to clear up his controversial comments about accompanying his daughter to the gynecologist to ensure her virginity is intact, he instead doubled down. The most shocking revelation is his insistence that when a woman loses her virginity, she immediately becomes and adult, and with that, comes adult responsibilities. This sounded more like a threat than an education, as if living in T.I.’s house as a non-virgin means more chores, and demanding job, and a clearly defined life plan. When T.I. asked the “purpose of a father,” it was more of a statement than a question, insisting his desire to be “involved” is cloaked with love, and if he doesn’t have a say in his daughter’s choices, he’s then just a man who “donates sperm and pays for things.”

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Ellen Pompeo Challenges Media Following ‘Red Table Talk’ About Race

Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo visited Jada Pinkett Smith’s groundbreaking Facebook series, Red Table Talk, for an honest conversation about raising bi-racial children. Toward the end of that extremely important talk, Pompeo was asked fishbowl questions, one of which was about her current relationship with former series star Patrick Dempsey. True to form, that one soundbite was picked up by the media, including The Today show, and Pompeo rightfully objected.

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The New York Post Viciously Attacks Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith

Will Smith and Jada Pickett Smith Red Table Talk

Jada Pinkett Smith launched the hugely popular Red Table Talk on Facebook as a vehicle for honest conversation. While many other talk shows present the same premise, this might be the most authentic of its kind. I knew it would take off while watching Jada reminisce with Will Smith’s first wife about the tumultuous start to their journey, followed by unconditional love for one another now. In fact, the power couple have long been pioneers of co-parenting, publicly insisting that it’s possible to get everyone in a room together for the holidays — on behalf of their children. So what could be negative about such a talk? Just ask the New York Post.

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GIRLS TRIP Review– You Must See This Film

 

Sit down, white boys. The Flossy Posse has arrived, and your members-only club is tired. Girls Trip is the answer to high-concept comedies that can’t survive the script (see Bad Moms). The film stars self-help author Ryan (Regina Hall), gossip blogger Sasha (Queen Latifah), single mother Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith) and hilariously loose-lipped Dina (standout star Tiffany Haddish). Time has forced them apart, but when Ryan gets invited to New Orleans on business, she brings the group together for a much-needed reunion.

It goes without saying that a female-led cast is already a coup. It also goes without saying that an all black cast is an even-more-welcome addition to the Cinemasphere. In a previous, scathing review of Bad Moms, I made it clear that the content was obviously written by white men, and the escapades therefore represented the antics of some Brentwood b*tches that had far too much time on their hands. THIS is not THAT. In a scene that can nearly sum up this message, Sasha visits the French Quarter, where she sees some drunk men on a makeshift zip-line and says, “That’s some white-boy sh*t right there.” Elizabeth Davelli (Kate Walsh) delightfully adds to this idea as Ryan’s white agent whose uncomfortable use of slang made me rethink writing #Slay on Instagram.

Girls Trip was written by Kenya Barris (black-ish) and Tracy Oliver (The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl) and directed by Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man films). This is important. First, it’s important to diversify the brains behind this business, because without that diversity, we won’t get to see fresh, original art. Sure we’ve seen drunken antics a million times, but have we seen Tiffany Haddish deliver delicious profanity about the hidden usages of a grapefruit (you’ll have to see the film)? These women know how to execute an exceptional script. And most importantly, they know how to adequately represent the heart of the film minus the pretty little bow. It didn’t just hit the mark, it kicked the door open.