Jada Pinkett Smith Admits She “Created That False Narrative” Of Her “Being The Adulterous Wife” On ‘Red Table Talk’: “It Didn’t Help”

Hindsight is 20/20. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have made headlines recently ahead of her new memoir, Worthy, in which she revealed that they have been secretly separated for almost six years. But, in a new interview, the actress reflected on the role she may have played in creating a “false narrative” about her relationship that has stuck to them like glue, no matter how candid they are about their marriage.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Pinkett Smith addressed that infamous moment in 2022 when her husband slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the Smiths were separated at the time. But, as she explained it, Pinkett Smith was also partially blamed by the public for his actions.

“I truly didn’t help that I created that false narrative at my own Red Table or allowed that false narrative, assisted that false narrative of being the adulterous wife,” she told EW.

She continued, “It didn’t help that moment, knowing what the societal standards or ideas of the power of the feminine and the evil temptress that can somehow make the masculine energy around her do things that he doesn’t want to do.”

In 2020, Pinkett Smith made headlines after singer August Alsina publicly commented on his relationship with her, which the two had kept mostly private. At the time, Pinkett Smith and Smith were still married, and the public was not aware of their ongoing separation. After Alsina said he “gave” his “full self” to Jada, she then had Smith on Red Table Talk to discuss the scandal because she felt there was “a healing that needs to happen.”

At the time, Smith admitted that he didn’t view Pinkett Smith’s relationship with Alsina as a “transgression,” but she told EW that she still felt the blame, especially at the 2022 awards ceremony.

Pinkett Smith said that putting the blame on her for the Oscars slap showed “the level of sexism that still exists within our culture.”

She added, “I understand that people really didn’t understand that moment, because Will had never done anything like that, and people just weren’t privy to what was happening behind the scenes in regards to his personal journey and our journey together.”

Since going public about their separation (and their subsequent reunion), the actress has shut down the cheating rumors.

“I just need people to know…okay…I did not cheat on Will Smith,” she said during a recent appearance on TalkShopLive. She added that “no matter how sad [Will] looked” on Red Table Talk, her relationship with Alsina did not count as infidelity.

The couple have both made it clear that they’re in it for the long haul. Smith recently declared that he is “going to show up for her and support her for the rest of my life.”

But there’s still certainly more to learn about the Smiths from her new book Worthy, which is available now.