If there’s one thing that I learned from Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk is that the time has come for us to stop referring to celebrity marriages as #relationshipgoals.
On Friday, Pinkett Smith, 48, and her husband, Will Smith, 51, sat down for a near 13-minute segment where she detailed an affair she had four years ago with R&B singer, August Alsina.
For years, Alsina had intimated that his relationship with Pinkett Smith had transcended a friendship. But, in an interview with radio host, Angela Yee, he came out and explained that he and Pinkett Smith had dated and that her husband had given him his blessing.
“I actually sat down with Will and had a conversation,” the singer said. “Due to the transformation from their marriage to (a) life partnership that they have spoken on several times, and not involving romanticism, he gave me his blessing.”
During the tell-all interview, Pinkett Smith explained how their friendship turned romantic.
“It all started with him just needing some help. Me wanting to help his health, his mental state,” she explained.
“From there, you know, as time went on I got into a different kind of entanglement with August.”
The Smiths, who have been married since 1997 and have two children together, Jaden, 22 and Willow, 19, have long been revered as the “perfect” couple and “relationship goals.”
The media, including social media, often reference their union as one that has stood the test of time. Outsiders see Smith as the fun, doting husband and they see his wife as a strong woman determined to keep her family intact.
And while it has been well-documented that they have an unconventional marriage, many were still surprised to learn from Pinkett Smith that she and her husband not only separated four years ago, but were having relationships of their own.
They have since reconciled.
Theirs is just the latest Hollywood relationship where cheating played a role.
Singer Beyoncé Knowles detailed her husband, Jay-Z’s infidelity on her Lemonade album. Jay-Z later released an album where he also discussed his past transgressions.
Until the news about Jay-Z’s affair surfaced, they, too, were viewed as the perfect couple.
The truth is, there is no perfect couple. Every relationship has its challenges. We’re just not privy to those challenges, so we assume they are problem-free.
The public also thinks that money and fame insulates individuals from pain and cheating. Sometimes it’s those very things that give people access to their every whim and desire.
I could never understand why anyone would look to someone else’s marriage and think that they were goals. Perhaps it’s because they were unsatisfied and unhappy in their own relationship, so they thought the grass was greener somewhere else.
I always hear women say they want a man like Will Smith. I always fire back, “you don’t know that man or what he’s like off screen,” but they don’t care. They fell in love with a character on TV and believe it will translate to real life.
It’s ok to admire qualities. But, it’s never a smart thing to want someone you know nothing about.
Hopefully, people will stop turning to celebrities for their ideals.
And hopefully, we have seen the end of #relationshipgoals.
XOXO,
This Bahamian Gyal
I think you’re spot on with this Ro. I also think ppl should stop chastising Jada. She’s human and makes mistakes like EVERYONE else. Seeing that Will has come to terms with HIS wife’s transgressions, why should we continue to throw stones.
Hey there, Kendea. Thanks so much for commenting. I’m glad you enjoyed the article. I read a meme on Twitter where a woman said, “I’ve been Jada, Will and August.” I think it’s quite appropriate. Many people have been in this situation, yet they are on social media throwing stones. Jada is human. This is why celebrities don’t talk their business. If I were a celebrity in a similar position and saw the vitriol being spewed on Jada, I would not share my business. We need to leave the judging to God. Thanks for weighing in.
I agree with this 100 percent!!
A relationship is as perfect as you make it. What’s perfect for me will not be perfect for you and vice versa. People need to stop being so invested in the lives of others.
Hello Shanny. Thanks for reading and thanks for the reply. I absolutely agree! Outside of God, perfection does not exist. And on top of that, people have the right to live the way they want to live. Will’s and Jada’s marriage may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but so what? Many people’s marriage isn’t my cup of tea. People need to live their own lives and mind their own business. They are too interested in what other people are doing.