Jada Pinkett Smith, known for her candid revelations about her personal life, has shed light on her decision not to extensively discuss her past “entanglement” with August Alsina in her recent memoir, “Worthy.” During an appearance on The Breakfast Club, she explained that she refrained from delving into the relationship because she felt Alsina had already endured enough scrutiny. Demonstrating a sense of respect, Pinkett Smith expressed her hope for healing in their relationship in the future.
Despite the relationship starting around 2015, it only became public knowledge when Alsina openly discussed it in a June 2020 interview with Angela Lee. Pinkett Smith subsequently addressed the matter on her show, Red Table Talk, alongside her husband, Will Smith, describing the connection as an “entanglement” in the midst of a deep friendship.
“About four and a half years ago … I started a friendship with August,” she said. “We actually became really, really good friends.” And then, she explained, she “got into a different kind of entanglement with August.”
While Alsina’s name wasn’t explicitly mentioned in “Worthy,” Pinkett Smith did touch on the relationship, likening it to a Hans Christian Andersen story. The actress has garnered attention during her promotional efforts for the memoir, notably disclosing that Tupac Shakur proposed to her in 1995 during his incarceration. Sharing the poignant moment on the All the Smoke podcast, she revealed the emotional toll of witnessing Shakur’s condition while he was at Rikers Island, emphasizing their deep friendship and the need for a solid foundation during challenging times.
Pinkett Smith’s recent revelations have added layers to her public persona, showcasing her willingness to discuss intimate aspects of her life, both past and present, in the pursuit of authenticity and understanding.
Seeing him there, the condition that he was in and having to leave him there. He was in bad shape. And so, when he asked me to get married, he was at Rikers [Island]
I knew at that time that he needed somebody to do time with him, which I was gonna do anyway. He didn’t have to marry me to do that. I’m here. He needed a rock. Because of our friendship and everything we had been through together, he just wanted to feel that solidified foundation.”
She continued: “I promise you, he would’ve married me and divorced me as soon as his ass got out [of prison]. He would’ve! […] I just think it was the mind state that he was in. He wrote me this long letter, and even before ‘Pac went to jail, he was starting to shift in a certain manner. Good, really good.
“And I think that for him, he just felt like, ‘Okay, if I can tether myself, it’ll keep me on a trajectory.’ But trust me, he would’ve divorced me as soon as he — one thing he wouldn’t want me as is a wife. I know that for a fact! But I think just being at Rikers, it just kinda shook him a little.”
