In this week’s episode of her Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith sat down with her mother, Adrienne Banfield Norris, and her daughter, Willow Smith, for a candid conversation about sex, shame and what each generation was taught about both.
Jada explained that she wanted Willow to be part of the discussion despite any criticism. She said she does not want her daughter to carry shame of any kind, and that being able to talk to a mother with life experience on the subject is a gift.
According to Jada, her own openness traces back to her grandmother, who spoke to her about her body and self-pleasure from a young age. Jada said the goal was for her to understand that her sense of pleasure belonged to her and not to any partner. She also said she went through a period in her early twenties when she was exploring her sexuality on her own and later felt she had taken it too far, before pulling back.
Willow also shared her own memory of her introduction to sex, which involved an awkward moment with her parents that Jada had mentioned in an interview with Entertainment Tonight a month earlier. Willow described it with humor, comparing it to walking in on a parent who is meditating.
The episode is part of a series that has drawn attention for its willingness to tackle topics families usually avoid. Jada, her mother and Willow each spoke about their own experiences in their own words.
Have you ever walked in on your parents? Tell us in the comments.
