Jada Pinkett Smith Says She Was Mom Shamed "Hardcore" With Son Jaden Smith

From Oprah Magazine

• During an October 13 episode of Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith, her mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones, and Willow Smith talk mom shaming with Dr. Ramani Durvasula.

• In an exclusive clip provided to OprahMag.com, Jada says she was shamed "hardcore" because of son Jaden Smith.

In a brand new episode of Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith, her mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones, and Willow Smith sat down with Dr. Ramani Durvasula to open-up about another hot button topic: mom shaming.

In an exclusive clip for OprahMag.com, Jada reveals that when it came to her two children she shares with husband Will Smith—Willow, 19, and Jaden, 22—it was with her son that she felt the most judged.

"I got shamed a lot for Willow," she said. "But Jaden was—that was hardcore. I think as Jaden got older, and he did the Louis Vuitton and he was wearing a skirt. And then he isn't what people consider your typical Black man, which is...what is that supposed to mean?"

Of course, Jada is referring to Jaden's much-talked-about 2016 Louis Vuitton campaign, in which he posed next to three other female models wearing what was marketed as a women's skirt. While it broke boundaries in fashion for embracing genderless clothing, many fans were not receptive to the bold move, with Jada even admitting in a 2018 episode of Red Table Talk that even Will was "uncomfortable" with the ad.

"Even in the community, we create stereotypes around ourselves, and it's something that we as a community really have to learn how to let go of," Jada says in the clip.

Over the years, the Smiths have faced numerous instances of criticism regarding their parenting—specifically from Black fans. Jaden asking to be emancipated at 15, Will's 2013 confession that he and his wife "don't do punishment" when it came to their kids, and Willow and Jaden's 2014 New York Times interview that Billboard called "totally bonkers", are just a few examples of moments that have been subject to gossip. But if there's anything that Will and Jada have taught us this year on RTT, it's that they've always had an open and unorthodox approach to their family,

"Jaden and Willow have always been different," Jada said on the talk show in 2018. "They were born that way. A lot of people think that it came from my rearing, but no, it just so happened that that’s how they came into the world and I had to get in order. I had to be open enough to receive it.”

But as brand strategist Lexi Montgomery told OprahMag.com last year, despite others' opinions, the Smiths were ahead of their time.

"Willow shaved her head, and Jaden wore a dress before people were openly supporting self-expression to the degree we see in the media today," she said. "Their past actions have become trend-worthy and admirable due to the cultural climate changing and becoming more accepting. In other words: What used to be weird is now considered cool."

To catch the rest of this Red Table Talk about mom shaming—which features special guests Jessica Alba and Ashley Graham—catch the rest of the episode at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 13 on Facebook Watch.

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