Jada Pinkett Smith Talks Not Feeling Protected In Her Relationships

In this week's episode of "Red Table Talk," the actress reveals how not feeling protected or safe as a child has spilled over into her adulthood.

BYErika Marie
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This week's episode of Red Table Talk has once again shone the spotlight on Will Smith's infamous Oscars moment. The world watched in real-time as Smith walked upon the Academy Awards stage and slapped Chris Rock after he made a G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head. The controversial slap has caused the future of the Fresh Prince icon's career to be debated, but things shifted after Jada made a few revelations on her talk show platform.

Fans have been expecting the Smiths to take to their red table and spill the beans on what life has been like in their household since the incident, but viewers have yet to receive that conversation. However, Jada did make some interesting comments about feeling protected.

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The episode heavily focused on mother-daughter dynamics and personal relationships, and in a clip that has gone viral, Jada expressed that her "biggest wound" was feeling as if she wasn't protected—and it is something that has reared its ugly head in other relationships that have followed.

"My thing was, just, not having protection. That's my biggest wound that comes out in all my relationships," said Jada. "And I've looked for [the] craziest kind of protection, and I don't have a really good sense of what's safe and what's not... I'm either extremely protective or extremely defensive."

Jada's mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, said that she believed that feeling developed in Jada after the actress's grandmother passed away. Banfield-Norris has been candid about her recovery from drug addiction, but during its height, Jada reportedly found solace with Adrienne's mother.

"And I'll tell you why. The environment. It was my addiction. She found her security through my mother," Banfield-Norris stated. "But, when Mommy died, that's when my addiction really took off." Jada added, "She died when I was still in middle school, you know, 11, 12 years old... Her house was safe, and so, once she was gone, there was no safety, so then I went into the world and created my own safety, and that was crazy."

Check out a few clips below and tune in to Facebook Watch tomorrow for the full episode.


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About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.