Jada Pinkett Smith on Why She’s Reclaiming Her Story

Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir, Worthy, has made a big splash for its bombshell revelations … and it hasn’t even been out for a week. But the book from the award-winning actress and talk show host is not just tabloid fodder – it’s also a critical part of Jada’s “reclamation journey”. In this episode, Jada tells her career story – how she’s navigated Hollywood, having a world-famous spouse, death threats, and public judgment. And come out stronger for it. 

In this episode, Jada shares: 

• Her dream Red Table Talk guest 

• Why she had to learn to deal with her self-judgment  

• How to have difficult conversations with friends and family

• Her perspective on *that* Red Table conversation between her and Will  

• Why her alopecia diagnosis has been a great “teacher” 

On Her Relationship with Herself

Jada: The biggest approach to self care that I've taken is reconciling my self judgment. You know, it's like, how do we feel about ourselves? And really sitting down and doing inventory on that. And so that's what I call going into the exiled lands. It's like going into that, doing that shadow work. Like, real deal. Going into those areas that we have to look at pieces of ourselves that we're not necessarily proud of. That we didn't really show up as our best and we know it.

Going in there and really examining it, and making peace, you know, and really reconciling self judgment. And to me, that's how you get to self love and to me, that's how you get the strength to live an independent life and be free. Because once you deal with your self judgment, anybody else's judgment has absolutely no power.

On Her Alopecia Diagnosis

Jada: I think that it really gave me permission, in a certain manner, to be with my vulnerability in a way that I had never been before and find my strength in that. The first day, and I can feel it right now, that I was in that shower, and my hair was sloughing off of my head, and I thought that I had some terminal illness, I didn't know what was going on and I was terrified. I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life.