Lauren London says the gun violence that her boyfriend Nipsey Hussle endured isn’t new to her.
The ATL actress sat down with Jada Pinkett Smith for an episode of Red Table Talk on Wednesday, June 3. According to People , the women spoke about the long term effects gun violence raises for the victim’s loved ones. They also discussed coping with losing someone close to them to gun violence as well.
As The Inquisitr previously shared, London is currently mourning Hussle’s sudden demise. Back in March 2019, the Grammy winner was shot to death while he was at his store, Marathon Clothing. While losing Hussle was extremely difficult for London, she admitted that it wasn’t the first time she was greatly impacted by gun violence in her lifetime. When asked by Pinkett Smith to share the first time she learned of or witnessed gun violence, London recalled being a teenager during her first experience.
“Just growing up in L.A., in the area that I was around. In high school, a lot of the boys were in gangs, and I remember that a lot of our friends, by summertime they were gone,” London explained. “They had transitioned from gun violence.”
London continued to say that the gang violence in Los Angeles had become so frequent that she became used to hearing the sound of guns shooting in her neighborhood. The Game alum also recalled being “on guard” at the time when she attended a local party. She shared how “traumatizing” it was for her to not be able to enjoy her night out like a normal 16-year-old girl because she wasn’t sure if she would leave the party safely.
The conversation also turned to the work London is doing to protect her children one year after Hussle’s death. Back in 2016, the couple welcomed their first son together — Kross Ermias Asghedom. London also has a 10-year-old son, Kameron Samuel Ari Carter, from her former relationship with Lil Wayne. Although Hussle wasn’t killed by the police, London said she still teaches her boys about the risks of police brutality as they go into the world.
“What I instill in them is more about the police,” London said. “How to handle yourself when you get pulled over. That’s more of my education, protecting them being black men in America.”
Pinkett Smith and London’s conversation comes more than one week after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On Monday, May 25, he was allegedly killed by police officer Derek Chauvin . During a recording, Chauvin was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes before he stopped breathing. In addition to Chauvin, fellow officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao were also arrested for their involvement in Floyd’s death.