Jada Pinkett Smith often makes headlines for what she reveals about herself on her “Red Table Talk” series, and Monday’s episode was no exception.
The topic of discussion was how viewing pornography affects relationships, and Pinkett Smith said she was addicted to porn before she married her husband Will Smith in 1997.
“Back in the day I had a little porn addiction, but I wasn’t in a relationship when I had a porn addiction,” she admitted while preparing to start the episode.
The actress’ mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones was also getting ready, and perhaps not surprisingly she said it was difficult for her to hear her daughter’s admission.
Plus, her granddaughter Willow Smith said she watches porn as well but only the “artsy” stuff, as she described.
“I just want y’all to know this is a lot for me,” admitted Banfield-Jones.
But later on, the grandmother said that watching pornography was “freeing” for her, because she grew up in a household with a lot of “shame.”
Pinkett Smith also gave more details on her past porn use.
“I actually feel like I was using addiction a little lightly, and maybe I will say now that I had an unhealthy relationship to porn at one point in my life when I was trying to practice abstinence,” she stated.
Willow Smith then asked her mother if she felt her fixation on pornography came from an emotional void, and the 47-year-old gave a mixed response.
“It was actually, like, filling, like, an emptiness. At least you think it is, but it’s actually not,” she described. “Actually reading, like, some of the effects of pornography, like the idea that it gives you false expectations as far as sexual interactions, I can definitely see that with men.”
“How a woman should always be willing and ready. She should be ready to have sex however he wants, in any position, anywhere, and you should enjoy it no matter what,” added Pinkett Smith.
But later in the discussion, the “Jason’s Lyric” star said viewing pornography can also serve as sex education for women.
“I don’t really think we know culturally what women like in regards to sex, because women have not been allowed to explore in the same way as men,” she explained.
“We’re just getting to the point where we’re even giving ourselves the opportunity to explore,” added the actress. “So we need years of that before we even know.”
You can watch the full “Red Talk Table” episode below.
