Jada Pinkett-Smith’s new web series, Red Table Talk, is slowly becoming a fan favorite. Every Monday when the show airs, Jada’s captured having an intimate sit-down with her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, and daughter, Willow Smith. Needless to say, the ladies definitely don’t hold back when it comes to being open and opinionated. But they aren’t the only people who have been welcomed to the table. Jada has also had intense, yet interesting discussions with other women in her life. The show kicked off with Jada and her husband Will Smith’s ex-wife, Sheree.
This week, Jada has turned heads with another interesting guest – Gabrielle Union. By now, everyone has probably heard that the ladies haven’t been the best of friends, but now they’re working to clear the air and move forward from their differences. So, what really happened with Jada and Gabrielle? The ladies put it all on the red table.
A 17-Year Fallout:
Although Jada’s and Gabrielle’s differences have been described as “beef,” the actresses actually agreed that isn’t necessarily the case. During the 20-minute conversation, the ladies recalled what led to their 17-year fallout and admitted it was on “some petty s**t.” There were even times where they both wondered what was the reason for the drama. “Gabrielle and I were never really girlfriends, we were great associates that at some point, dissolved and for 17 years we have not really spoken. We don’t even know [what we’re mad at]. Today I really want to talk to Gabrielle to find out how we, as women, specifically, get here. And this particular episode is about healing.”
The ladies admitted that for some reason, every time they saw each other, there was always unspoken tension. “Every time we would see each other, it was always cordial, always nice, but there was always tension.”
The Being Mary Jane star went on to recall another awkward encounter with Jada, when the two crossed paths at the NAACP Awards. The moment was reportedly so uncomfortable, that Gabrielle described the photo opp as “stiff,” according to TooFab. “I think it was last year or two years ago, me and my friend were leaving the White House — this is some boujee Black people thing, so I was leaving the White House — and you were walking in and there was this moment of, ‘Do I hug her?'” said Union.
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Communicating Through Negativity:
The ladies then dived a lil’ deeper, when Gabrielle decided to surprisingy open up about her flaws. Jada finally got the opportunity to commend Gabrielle for her powerful speech at Essence’s 2013 Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon and she opened up about the inspiration behind the speech. Union recalled the dark place she was in after her first marriage and the moment she realized she had a habit of “taking joy in people’s pain.”
Gabrielle also revealed the former actress, who checked her about her attitude –Babyboy actress turned fitness trainer, AJ Johnson. The Breaking In actress recalled the intense moment and how it changed her life. “She got me right between the eyes, it was harsh in the moment, but it was like ‘Damn, I have been communicating through negativity,'” Union explained.
Jada also chimed in, “We’ve all been there.” “Someone else comes along and we feel threatened in some form and we feel like we have to shrink somebody else down in order to feel bigger.” Gabrielle Union went on to admit a few more things about herself. She kept as real as she could and it definitely shows the growth. “I’m a hater, I’m a troll,” she said of her past. “[Johnson] was like, all those negative things that had been happening in your life, it’s exactly what you’re putting out, you’re getting back. I had to see myself clearly. It’s ugly, it’s hard, it’s painful to recognize that you are the common denominator for the vast majority of your problems.”
The ladies ended their conversation with a sigh of relief. Gabrielle admitted that talking to Jada felt like a burden had been lifted. She said it was “like a gorilla hopped off my back that I didn’t even know was there. I needed that, I needed you. So, thank you.” Jada also shared her hopes for their future. “I hope from here on out that we have a bond and you know, you can call on me for anything and thank you for just being open to this,” Jada said before giving Gabrielle a key necklace as a gift. “Let this key be a reminder that you are the key to your power.”
Big ups to Jada and Gabrielle for handling their business like grown folks!
