It takes a grown woman to own up to her past mistakes, but it’s a step further to discuss those mistakes the way Jada Pinkett Smith has in her new Facebook talk show.
On the premiere episode of her Facebook Watch show, Pinkett Smith had Sheree Fletcher (Will’s first wife) as a guest. The goal of this sit down? An honest dialogue about the difficult times they faced becoming a blended family, of course. They had a deep conversation about Trey, Will Smith’s first son with Fletcher, who was three years old at the time. Pinkett Smith also dealt with the uncomfortable conversation of dating Will while he was with Fletcher.
Pinkett Smith spoke in a revelation:
“Because I did not understand marriage, I did not understand divorce — I probably should have fell back.”
Her statement was immediately followed by, “You think?” by Fletcher. Jada and Will have been married for 20 years, however Pinkett Smith chose this opportunity to discuss their beginnings, one that involved a young child at the center of their new union. This is where the episode takes a more serious tone. They spoke candidly about the moment that Pinkett Smith first met Trey, and the reaction that he brought home to his mother. He really liked Jada, and it seems from Jada’s tear-filled response to this story that it proves the affection was mutual.
In many celebrity or normal relationships, the first child of the previous marriage doesn’t always get the same love and attention as the new mother’s children, or children yet to be born. This was a testament that a blended family can work, and especially important for the stereotypes that plague Black families. Every story like this one is a win. This emotional moment hit a fever pitch when Sheree Fletcher reached across the table and said this:
“Thank you for loving my baby.”
The first episode evolved into a snapshot of Black motherhood. The Gotham star expressed her experience that she came from a broken home, an experience that many minorities can identify with. Pinkett Smith referred to her co-parenting with Fletcher as her entry point into motherhood.
“I thought it was important to have that conversation because she was my entry point to motherhood. I was co-mothering with her. At that particular time, before [having a blended family] was popular, before it was even an idea, we were trying to create something that we had never experienced…We [Jada Pinkett Smith] came from broken homes. We didn’t have a blueprint. We just had an idea. This is what we think we want. This is what we want to try to do for Trey.”
The series is co-hosted by Pinket Smith’s mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones and her 17-year-old daughter, singer-entertainer Willow Smith. The Girl’s Trip Star looks forward to sharing her viewpoints and perspective on this Facebook platform.
In the premiere episode of Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith is joined by Will Smith’s ex-wife, Sheree Fletcher for an intimate conversation around their blended family. Make sure to follow Red Table Talk for more updates and episodes!
Posted by Red Table Talk on Monday, May 7, 2018
