Jada Pinkett Smith is bring herself to the Table.
After August Alsina claimed that he had an affair with the actress, she is speaking out for the first time about their relationship on her Facebook Watch show “Red Table Talk.” In her candid sit-down with Will Smith, Jada admitted that she and August were in a romantic relationship during her temporary separation from her husband.
“This is a very personal journey that became very public,” said Jada while addressing the headlines.
It was widely reported that Jada denied her relationship with August, but she said those weren’t her words. “Somebody made a statement for me that wasn’t a statement I made that went cray-cray,” she said. “At the end of the day, I don’t like how this came to be. That doesn’t matter. It’s all love, honestly.”
Will also confirmed that he did not release any statement. “We were purposely not saying anything,” he said.
Jada revealed that she and August “started a friendship” about four, four-and-a-half years ago. “We actually became really, really good friends. And it all started with him just needing some help, me wanting to help his health, his mental state,” she said.
Added Will, “When Aug first came around, he was really sick and the outpouring for him from our family was initially about his health.”
The couple was going through “very difficult times” and “broke up” during that period. “I was done with your ass,” said Will. “We decided 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 that we could be over.”
It was during that time that Jada and August became close in what Jada describes as an “entanglement.” August claims that Will gave his “blessing” to the relationship. “I could actually see how he would perceive it as permission because we were separated amicably and I also think he wanted to make it clear that he’s not a homewrecker, which he’s not,” said Jada.
When pressed to describe their “entanglement,” Jada confirmed it was a “relationship.” “I was in a lot of pain and I was very broken. In that process of that relationship, I definitely realized that you can’t find happiness outside of yourself and luckily you and I were going through a process of healing in a much different manner.”
Will asked his wife what she was looking for in the relationship. “I just wanted to feel good,” she said. “It had been so long since I felt good.”
Jada said she wouldn’t describe the relationship as a “transgression” and learned a lot about herself. “I learned so much about myself and was really able to confront a lot of emotional immaturity, emotional insecurity, and I was really able to do some really deep healing.”
August stopped communicating with Jada after she went back to Will and has not spoken to her since. But she and Will are able to laugh about it now. “It happened so long ago,” said Jada. “This all seemed very strange, but I’m grateful for the journey you and I had together.”
There was a point when Will was unsure if he would speak to Jada again, but they were able to find “unconditional love.” “We never, ever, ever thought that we would make it back,” she said.
After 25 years together, they have realized their relationship can withstand anything. “We ride together, we die together. Bad marriage for life,” they said before laughing and fist bumping.
Watch the full interview below.