Credit: Red Table Talk via YouTube
Jada Pinkett Smith Comes Clean And Names Celeb She Cheated With: ‘It Had Been So Long Since I Felt Good’
Jada Pinkett Smith has named the celebrity she had an affair with in an interview that shocked fans.
Jada, 54, is an American actress, singer, and talk show host who has been married to Hollywood legend Will Smith since 1997. They share two children: Jaden and Willow.
In recent years, the couple has faced intense scrutiny regarding their marriage.
Oscars slap and its fallout
The A-list couple made global headlines when Smith slapped actor and comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
It all started when Rock, who was hosting the event, aimed a joke at Jada’s shaved head, comparing her to Demi Moore in the 1997 film G.I. Jane.
The actress had previously spoken about living with alopecia, a disease that attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss.
After Rock said: “Jada, can’t wait for G.I. Jane 2,” Smith walked up on stage and, to everyone’s astonishment, smacked him.
When he returned to his seat, Smith yelled: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.”
Awkwardly, the night ended with Smith winning the Best Actor award for his role in King Richard; however, the infamous slap overshadowed what should’ve been the crowning moment in his career.
Following the incident, the actor was banned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 10 years.
The organization stated that the awards had been ‘overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage.’
Affair that came before the slap
This isn’t the only controversy the couple has faced, with some arguing there was an even bigger scandal before the Oscars.
From 2018 to 2023, Jada hosted a talk show with her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, and daughter Willow, on Facebook called Red Table Talk.
The trio interviewed guests and discussed several topics – in 2020, one episode captured the world‘s attention.
It involved Jada and Smith sitting down to have an intimate conversation, in which the actress opened up about having an affair.
‘It had been so long since I felt good’
Jada had an ‘entanglement’ with hip-hop and R&B singer August Alsina, now aged 33.
She recalled: “It all started with him just needing some help, me wanting to help his health, his mental state.
“The outpouring for him from our family was initially about his health.
“We found all those different resources to help pull him through and from there you and I were going through a very difficult time.”
Jada admitted that she sought a relationship with Alsina because ‘it had been so long since I felt good.’
The actress added that the pair had broken it off.
Jada and Smith used the talk show to address the claim the actor had given his permission for the affair.
“One of the things I want to clear up that was kind of swirling in the press was you giving permission, which the only person who can give permission in that particular circumstance is myself,” the mom-of-two stated.
“But what August was actually trying to communicate – because I could actually see how he would perceive it as permission because we were separated amicably – I think he also wanted to make it clear that he’s not a homewrecker, which he’s not.”
Then, in 2023, the actress made another shocking admission.
‘We’ve been living completely different lives’
Jada revealed she and Smith had been living ‘completely different’ lives since 2016.
In an NBC News primetime special with Hoda Kotb, she said (per Today): “I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce.
“We will work through whatever. And I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”
In a separate interview with People magazine, Jada added: “We’re still figuring it out.
“We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us.”
Smith addressed the revelation in an email to The New York Times: “When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life, a sort of emotional blindness sets in, and you can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties.”
In September 2025, the pair were seen on a rare date together as they went out for lunch at sushi restaurant Nobu in Malibu, per Metro.
Related Article: ‘Nepo Baby’ Willow Smith Says Her Success Isn’t Down To Famous Parents
Related Article: People Are Only Just Realizing Why Will Smith’s Kids Are Named Jaden And Willow
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