“We specifically never said anything.” That’s how Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith started off the latest episode of Red Table Talk in which they both talked about the latest headlines, that Jada once had an affair with R&B singer August Alsina.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Alsina recently opened up about their reported secret affair in an interview with Angela Lee that was shared on YouTube. During his conversation with Lee, Alsina said that he “actually sat down with Will and had a conversation” with him to talk about his relationship with Jada and added that Will “gave me his blessing.”
“I totally gave myself to that relationship for years of my life,” Alsina said of the alleged affair. “And I truly and really, really, deeply loved and have a ton of love for [Jada].”
Following the interview going life, reps for the actress made a statement saying Alsina’s claims are “absolutely not true,” according to Page Six. Pinkett Smith even took to Twitter to speak about needing “healing.” However, after she and Will headed to the round table, both of them revealed they never authorized any statements to go out prior to the new episode of her Facebook show.
Now, Will and Jada Smith are speaking their truth and admitting to the affair.
After choosing to remain silent following Alsina’s relationship, Will admitted that all the noise got to be too much. “Coming to the red table, we just felt like it got to the point where you got to say something.”
And while Jada is not thrilled about the way all this information was made public, “at the end of the day…it’s all love.” “This is a very personal journey that became very public for whatever reason,” Jada added and Will agreed.
As Jada explained, four or four-and-a-half years ago, she and Alsina became “really, really good friends.” Initially, when Alsina came into Jada and Will’s life he was very sick and Jada wanted to help. However, at that same time, Will admitted that he “was done” with Jada and their marriage was in a bad place.
That’s when the couple made the decision to separate “indefinitely.” “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.”
As Jada continued, she admitted to being in a relationship with Alsina during her separation from Will. However, they both denied that Will ever gave Alsina permission because the only person Jada needed permission from was herself. “I was in a lot of pain, and I was very broke,” Jada said of that time in her life.
Jada also said that it was during her relationship with Alsina that she realized that she would never be able to find happiness outside of herself and as a result of her and Will doing everything they could to get away from each other, they ultimately realized that that wasn’t possible.
That’s when Will asked Jada what she was looking for when she entered into an “entanglement” with Alsina. She replied that she was just looked to feel good again because “it had been so long since I felt good.”
And while some people may see Jada’s relationship with Alsina as a “transgression,” she doesn’t see it that way at all because she’s learned so much about herself doing that time in her life. According to Jada, it was as Jada was reconnecting with Will that Alsina made the decision to cut all ties with her, which was something she understood.
“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 since this was several years ago.” And Will agrees, adding that they are laughing about all this now because they’ve already gone through the heavy conversations, the fighting, and the therapy that came from Jada’s relationship with Alsina. For them, all of this is far in the past.
As Will admits there was a time that he thought he would never speak to Jada again. But eventually, he and Jada were able to find unconditional love for one another. “It ain’t for the weak of heart,” Will said of marriage. “There’s a real power in knowing somebody is riding with you no matter what.”
Now, Will and Jada have been together for 25 years “and counting.” “We ride together, we die together, bad marriage for life,” the couple said with a laugh.
Shortly after Jada shared this particular episode of Red Table Talk, Alsina took to Twitter. While his comments were not directed at Jada and Will, he did have something about all the attention he was receiving regarding this topic of conversation.
“Imagine not knowing how to mind the business that pay you. I catch all the subliminals. (Not just about today) & you can call me whatever you like, Mess is constantly inserting yourself in topics you have nun to do w/. Go play w/ ya MAMMY! Not me!”
So does this mean the conversation regarding Jada and Alsina’s past end here? Only time will tell.