The latest episode of Jada Pinkett Smith‘s “Red Table Talk” series was posted to Facebook on Tuesday, and in it she told viewers they could ask her anything, as well as her daughter Willow Smith and mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones.
And there was one question that made the three women talk about an incident in 2014 when Child Protective Services came to their home. The visit was to investigate how Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith were parenting.
“Do you ever feel like you need to defend your parents when there are rumors in the press about them?” someone asked Willow around the 17:40 mark of the episode.
“Yes,” the 19-year-old answered.
“I felt like that all the time,” Banfield-Jones followed.
Willow then said she felt that way when rumors spread about her parents getting a divorce.
Afterward, her grandmother said she was baffled at how people can report untruths about her daughter and daughter’s husband, and she would often tell Pinkett Smith to sue whatever publication was spreading falsities. But the actress always said it wasn’t worth it.
From there, the incident with child protective services came up.
As it was explained, someone visited after a photo of a then-13-year-old Willow spread online that showed her in bed with the actor Moisés Arias, who was 20 years old at the time and shirtless.
“I think it started with that whole Moisès thing,” Willow explained.
“The boys basically lived with us, so they’re like her brothers,” said Pinkett Smith, also referencing Moisés’ brother Mateo. “These boys are always in this house with their shirts off.”
“There was no sexual intonation in that picture whatsoever,” Willow followed. “But I find that other celebrities, females who aren’t Black, who are younger and who do post things that are way more sexual than that, they don’t get any backlash.”
Pinkett Smith then said it was the first time she ever got “furious” at a fake allegation. The 48-year-old also remembered the woman from Child Protective Services being “nice,” and she knew off the bat that everything was fine in the household as far as parenting went.
But the “Set It Off” star also remembers Willow and her son Jaden Smith being upset at the visit and forming their own individual protests.
“You know what? I’m going to walk in with food, and I’m going to eat throughout the entire interview,” Willow remembered telling herself during the visit.
But her mom said the moment was a real turning point for the household.
“I feel like we really locked up together as a family,” explained Pinkett Smith. “The kids got to see for the first time why Will and I had been so protective, be careful who you talk to, be careful who you hang with, watch yourself because people try to hurt you. So I got to see the soldiers in them.”
