Jada Pinkett Smith said August Alsina helped to fill a void she was missing in her life during their secret romance.
One week after the “No Love” singer admitted he was involved with Pinkett Smith, the actress confirmed the relationship occurred over four years ago. While alongside husband Will Smith, she began a discussion about the painful time in their marriage on her show, Red Table Talk . She shared how she and Alsina became more than friends.
According to People , Pinkett Smith said both she and Alsina were in a dark place when they decided to form a relationship, and she was able to find solace in being with him.
“I just wanted to feel good,” she said to her husband. “It had been so long since I felt good. And it was really a joy to just help heal somebody.”
Pinkett Smith also shared that her issues with “co-dependency” was also a reason she felt drawn to Alsina. At the time, the Smith family was helping the singer through his liver disease battle. She said being there for Alsina as a friend and ultimately a lover was something she took pride in while she was struggling herself.
“Just that idea of needing to fix and being drawn to people that need help, whether it’s your health or it’s your addictions, there’s something about that childhood trauma that feels as though it can be fixed through fixing people versus fixing me,” she said. “And I think that that whole process with Aug really showed me that and I’m really grateful for that lesson. I was in a lot of pain and I was very broken.”
While she didn’t delve into the timeline, Pinkett Smith and Alsina called off their relationship around 2018. She said that through the relationship, she was able to find happiness within herself, which was something she said she lacked prior.
After the relationship ended, the Smiths decided to end their separation and rekindle their marriage. At the time of her breakup with Alsina, Pinkett Smith said she and her husband had gone “through a process of healing” that saved their relationship today.
Alsina first disclosed his relationship with Pinkett Smith and said her husband gave him his blessing when he found out. Prior to Alsina’s announcement, there were ongoing rumors about his relationship with the Smith family as they were seen together on multiple occasions.
Pinkett Smith’s reps initially denied the claims, and the Independence Day actor’s rep said the reports were completely untrue. Several days later, Pinkett Smith shared via Twitter that she would share her side of the story on Red Table Talk .