Will & Jada Smith On Their Unconventional Views On Monogamy — Marriage 'Can't Be A Prison'

Feb 28, 2022 by apost team

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett have often been seen as one of the power couples in Hollywood. They show their love for each other and care about the family that they have created together, but they have faced their fair share of difficulties.

In an episode of "Red Table Talk," from 2018, Will talks about the relationship that the two have together. The episode shows Will sitting at a table talking to Jada and their daughter Willow. Jada's mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, is also at the table.

This is an episode of the show that focuses on generations of women in a family and how they open up their homes to show some of the conversations that take place as well as the interaction between family members.

Some of the topics that Jada talks about in the episode include religion, health, and family. These topics are similar to those that are discussed in other episodes of the show. The show has been airing for well over a dozen episodes, and Will thought that it was time that he offered his input about his family.

One of the things that Will talked to Willow about was when Jada cried for about 45 days straight every single morning. Will kept a diary. Jada even stated that Will had missed a few days that weren't recorded. This was a time that was possibly the worst in their marriage because he didn't know what to do to help her.

Will and Jada have been married for 25 years, but they don't see themselves as a married couple. They consider themselves as life partners. Read on to learn more about the couple’s non-traditional marriage.

For a Father's Day special in 2020 Will gave another intimate interview on "Red Table Talk," and spoke about his father, Willard Carroll Smith Sr., who was a turbulent force in his household when Will was growing up, reports Yahoo!. He revealed that his father was abusive towards his mother, Caroline Bright.

"My father had a little bit of a temper. I was a gentle kid, like, I was not a kid that you had to slap or punch or beat. So growing up in a household where physical aggression was approved of, that really chaffed my hide. That hurt my spirit," said Will.

Will has one son, Trey, from his first marriage, and a son, Jaden, and a daughter, Willow, from his marriage to Jada. Will claims that his father's mistakes and flaws were painful at the time, but that he was able to learn from them so that he could take away the negative aspects and understand how to be a better dad to his own kids. 

"Well there’s such beautiful qualities that he instilled that are a big part of what made me 'me,' and as the yin to every yang, I watched [my father] beat up my mother. So the biggest emotional scar that I have in this lifetime, he delivered that also. He showed me a lot of things that I wanted to do, but he also showed me the things I would absolutely, positively never do to my children," Will told Jada.

Will was determined not to let the anxieties and worries get in the way of him being a great dad. Jada agreed with Will, stating that his father inspired her husband's persevering nature.

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One thing that is special about Will and Jada is how vulnerable and transparent they have been about their marriage. “The pursuit of truth is the only way to be happy in this lifetime,” Will said to GQ. “And we sort of came to the agreement that authenticity was the release from the shackles of fame and public scrutiny.”

The pair have been very open about being in a non-traditional relationship. They have been non-monogamous for periods of time during their marriage, and in an episode of “Red Table Talk” from 2020, Jada revealed that she had been dating R&B singer August Alsina at one point. Will shared:

“Jada never believed in a conventional marriage. Jada had family members that had an unconventional relationship. So she grew up in a way that was very different than how I grew up. There were significant endless discussions about, what is relational perfection? What is the perfect way to interact as a couple? And for the large part of our relationship, monogamy was what we chose, not thinking of monogamy as the only relational perfection.”

The couple has chosen to put their happiness above any preconceived notions of how relationships should be. Will added, “We have given each other trust and freedom, with the belief that everybody has to find their own way. And marriage for us can’t be a prison. And I don’t suggest our road for anybody. I don’t suggest this road for anybody. But the experiences that the freedoms that we’ve given one another and the unconditional support, to me, is the highest definition of love.”

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