Jada Pinkett Smith Admitted to Relationship With August Alsina — Now Will Smith Is Speaking Out

The Smith family isn't too concerned with privacy, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith in particular. From spilling family drama to opening up about masturbating five times a day (get it, girl!), Jada unearths a lot on Facebook Watch's Red Table Talk, which explores complex and sensitive issues through the lenses of three generations of women. And on said show, there's been a lot of talk of Jada and Will's relationship, which almost completely fell apart about five years ago.

See, back in 2020, rapper August Alsina felt he had to get something off his chest, and boy did he. After he publicly admitted to having a romantic relationship with Jada, who's been married to the Fresh Prince star since 1997, the internet was ablaze with articles about the love triangle, many of which called Jada a cheater. But was that really the case? Well, more than a year later, Will Smith is finally speaking his own truth.

Let's set the record straight — it technically was not an affair, as Will gave his blessing for rapper August Alsina to pursue a relationship with his wife of more than 20 years. Wait, what? A rep for Jada was so quick to deny these claims made by August that we're sure they had to catch their breath. However, his claims were true.

On a July 2020 episode of Red Table Talk, while Willow Smith and the family matriarch, Adrienne Banfield Norris, were absent, Will joined his wife to discuss the ins and outs of the story. With a hint of sourness in his voice, Will asked, "So, what happened, Jada?" She went on to explain that it started out as a friendship in 2015, a friendship that became intense quickly.

"It all started with him just needing some help. Me wanting to help his health, his mental state," she said about their relationship. August has been very open about suffering from a hereditary auto-immune disease. She then labeled her connection to August "an entanglement," which understandably had Will wishing for her to rephrase. “Yes, it was a relationship. Absolutely," she clarified. "Now, in the process of that relationship, I definitely realize that you can’t find happiness outside of yourself."

Their relationship bloomed while Jada and Will's relationship wilted, Jada saying they "basically broke up." That episode of Red Table Talk was a doozy, and the internet could not get enough of Will's Eeyore-looking face. It obviously became a meme. Well, Will spoke to GQ about his life, relationship, and of course, the Sad Will Smith meme.

Regarding the meme, Will explained that the internet took it the wrong way. “It was midnight and we were going on vacation the next day,” he told GQ's Wesley Lowery. “It was like, no, no, no, guys, I’m not sad. I’m f--king exhausted.” In fact, the internet took a lot of things the wrong way, as Will Smith relayed that he also had his fair share of sexual relationships outside the marriage, but this was their mutual agreement. Welcome to the world of open relationships, newcomers.

"Jada had family members that had an unconventional relationship. So she grew up in a way that was very different than how I grew up," he stated. "There were significant endless discussions about, what is relational perfection? What is the perfect way to interact as a couple? And for the large part of our relationship, monogamy was what we chose."

He went on to explain how things eventually changed, specifically saying that "marriage for us can't be a prison." He clarified that he wouldn't recommend their relationship style to anyone. Aside from their highly publicized open marriage, Will admitted to having thoughts about infidelity early in his marriage to Jada, which is something he felt shameful for. At one point, all he could think about was having a "harem of girlfriends."

Specifically, the stunning talents Halle Berry and Misty Copeland took up space in his mind. Will has been working with intimacy coach Michaela Boehm for years, who has helped him process his fantasies and shame, ultimately leading him to realize what he really wants out of his love life. After processing the idea of having 20 girlfriends with Michaela, Will came to his senses. "That would be horrific. That would be horrific." Well, now we know a lot more about the 53-year-old actor!