It isn’t every day we get news about Hollywood’s most open, and yet most secretive, dynasty: The Smiths. (Or is it the Pinkett–Smiths?) In a rare moment of transparency, the walls of Will and Jada’s elusive marriage were breached yesterday after an interview with August Alsina was posted on Youtube. In conversation with The Breakfast Club’s Angela Yee, Alsina claimed to have had a years-long affair with Jada, which he said was “blessed” by Will and began when he was first introduced to the Red Table Talk matriarch by her son Jaden in 2015. Now, Jada’s reps are scurrying around the inboxes of journalists across the internet, frantically asserting that the dude’s lying!!!
Page Six reports that shortly after Alsina’s interview with Yee went live, reps for Jada stressed that the rumors are “absolutely not true.” Which, if Alsina were lying, it would be quite the scandal, considering this doesn’t sound like the average Hollywood affair, and Alsina appears to be risking it all just talking about it. He even claims it affected his livelihood in Hollywood!
During the interview, Alsina told Yee he “truly gave myself” to Jada during their relationship, and that he still “truly and really, really deeply love and have a ton of love for her.” Quite bold; these are the statements of a man who’s, like, about to run through airport security to stop you from flying to Paris for your new job, where you’ll get new friends and a new wardrobe and a new life completely, to tell you he loves you and just wants everything to go back to the way it was again. These are not, however, the words of some random dude looking to promote his new album, The Product III:stateofEMERGEncy, or his new documentary, StateofEMERGEncy: The Rise of August Alsina.Now, Alsina’s revelations are only more complicated by the fact that he’s previously appeared on Jada’s talk show, Red Table Talk, about recovering from addiction. In 2018, he revealed that he’d been struggling with prescription pills after falling off a stage in 2014 and being prescribed Percocet for the pain. Together, the two discussed how Jada’s mentorship and guidance helped lead him to recovery, with Jada claiming: “August and I and my mother and the family as a whole has been on this journey with August towards his healing.” Page Six reports that it is “unclear” when their alleged affair ended, but judging by his appearance on Red Table Talk, it could have lasted at least until 2018.
Interestingly, it also wouldn’t be the first time that the Smiths found themselves swatting at a flurry of rumors about friends and co-stars nearly half their age. As others have already pointed out, Jada gave husband Will an interesting piece of advice while filming 2015’s Focus with co-star Margot Robbie. In an interview with E News, Will claimed Jada told him: “[When] she saw that Margot was young and hot and in shape, she said, ‘Boy don’t embarrass me. Get in shape now.’ She was like, ‘Do not let that girl smash you onscreen.’” The advice alone might mean nothing, were it not for reports the previous year that Will was having an affair Robbie, exemplified by somewhat racy pictures they took at a photo booth in New Orleans.
At the time, sources told Star: “Once they pulled the curtain back to take the pictures, they let their inhibitions run wild, laughing, hugging and nuzzling each other in the dark.” Afterward, attendees at the party where the photo booth was located claimed Will gave Robbie a piggyback ride “toward his trailer,” forgetting the printed photo booth pictures completely. Choices!
For now, Jada denies the affair, just as the Smiths have in the past whenever a new spate of rumors crop up. Truthfully, how they decide to conduct their marital business isn’t any of our business—until it spills over into public life, that is. Regardless, I will be thinking about Queen Latifah’s face at the 2017 BET Awards for probably the rest of my life:
This is less “celebrity news,” and more “lack of celebrity news.” In a heartfelt letter shared with fans last night, @SkyFerreiraUpdates claimed they were finding it “harder and harder to continue with this account” considering the lack of actual… Sky Ferreira updates. Aren’t we all!
Demi Lovato is still dating that man.
Jennifer Garner has been playing dress-up.
I would love to know how these plants in Kim’s bathroom get sun or light or water or soil.
- Miley Cyrus feels supported by Cody Simpson, which is nice. [People]
- A whole lot of people don’t want Paris Jackson to play Jesus. [ET]
- David Foster really wants everyone to know that he did not break up with Yolanda Hadid because of Lyme disease. [Just Jared]
- Keep dreaming and hoping and praying and wishing, Phaedra. [People]