August Alsina Speaks On Devotion To Jada Pinkett-Smith: "I Deeply Loved Her"
Since the release of the recent August Alsina and Angela Yee interview, the internet has been ablaze with opinions of August, Jada, Will, marriage, relationships and everything in between.
The hour-long interview was conducted in support of his latest studio album, The Product III: stateofEMERGEncy. During the intimate conversation with Yee, the "NOLA" singer was asked about his rumored relationship with actress Jada Pinkett Smith, August spoke about his love and devotion to Jada, his love for their family, the blessing given by Will Smith and how walking away from the relationship was probably the hardest thing he will ever experience in this lifetime.
"I actually sat down with Will and had a conversation, due to her transformation from their marriage to life partnership that they've spoken on several times, and it, you know, not involving romanticism... He gave me his blessing. I totally gave myself to that relationship for years of my life, and I truly and really, really, deeply loved and have a ton of love for her."
August Alsina tells Angela Yee that he and Jada Pinkett Smith have been in a relationship and will Smith is aware of it pic.twitter.com/dxVZddQmew
— Pop News & Facts (@ThePopFacts) July 1, 2020
While people have speculated for years on the details of Will and Jada's marriage and whether or not they are in what most people would describe as an open marriage, they've been pretty elusive to whether or not they date other people. Though they have shared some pretty thought-provoking gems on their marriage. In a 2018 interview with Tidal, Will had this to say:
"We don't even say we're married anymore. We refer to ourselves as 'life partners,' where you get into that space where you realize you are literally with somebody for the rest of your life."
"There's no deal breakers. There's nothing she could do — ever. Nothing that would break our relationship. She has my support till death and it feels so good to get to that space where you're not complaining, and worrying, and demanding that a person be a certain thing."
Although Jada has since publicly denied the relationship, people have also been speculating about a Red Table Talk conversation between Jada, Will, her mother, and the couple's daughter, Willow, where Jada said:
"If you marry me, know this. We're going to be together. We're gonna be under the same roof. You might be on one end of the joker with somebody and I may be on another end with somebody else, but we're gonna be together."
I don't know August Alsina. I don't know Will Smith or Jada Pinkett Smith. I'm starting to know marriage, and I'm constantly learning and redefining love and what it means to, and for me.
After watching the August Alsina interview with Angela Yee and taking a trip to Twitter, I realized the thoughts I had after watching the interview were so far from what others, mostly single people, felt.
I read tweets basically saying Jada had taken advantage of August and she should have known better considering his mental state at the time. I saw things saying she should have had August sign an NDA and some saying August "does this every time" he has a song or an album coming out. While ultimately we are only hearing one side, and a very small portion of what he says, the alleged romance was a relationship that went on for years.
August Alsina was 21 when they met. He was impressionable, battling with mental health and was vulnerable. He was going through loss and pain. Needed a mother and comforter, Jada provided that and more. The power dynamics were never in his favour and he was clearly burnt.
— Ugo (@UgoIkeakor) July 1, 2020
There's something about Jada. Tupac said she made him climax without sex. August Alsina is ready to die because loving Jada fulfilled him. WTF is Jada doing to these men??!😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/CCqqReXGU7
— S.C (@sphesihle_cm) July 1, 2020
August Alsina just admitted that he fucked Jada Pinkett Smith WITH Will Smith’s complete blessing and is in love with her...is that who he wrote Kissin’ On My Tattoos for??? pic.twitter.com/3cGYys82P1
— en•dee•yuh (@endeyuh) July 1, 2020
This August ,Jada and Will shit is seriously alot to take in 😯😭💔🚶 2020 just got to a whole new level #AugustAlsina pic.twitter.com/pqEkbYL2eF
— Amogelang Mayvee (@AmogelangMayvee) July 1, 2020
Amongst the many opinions, mine included, of August and Jada's relationship, a few facts remain, Jada is married. August knew she was married. August is, and was single. August and Jada are both and were consenting adults. According to August, Will was not only aware of his and Jada's relationship, him and August sat down and talked about it, so what is the problem? I personally don't feel there is one in what August described as their non-romantic relationship. He loved her. He loved her so deeply he felt he gave all of himself to the connection and can die knowing he gave everything he had.
He loved her so deeply, despite them no longer still having the same form of a relationship as they once had, he still loves her.
How many single, married, dating people can say they have experienced a love like that? How many people can agree that they too have literally given their all in any form of a relationship? It's so rare to hear of people even speaking of a love so deep, and even more rare for most people to be able to comprehend what it means to fall so deeply in love with another person that you can die knowing you gave yourself to another person in any capacity.
While most of us will never know the ins and outs of Jada and August's alleged relationship, we can all aspire to experience a deep love for someone. People can disagree with a "lifestyle" or relationship that they have heard only snippets about, but the overall message remains, August had an earth-shattering love for another person. A love that transcended reason. A love that again, he can die knowing he gave.
And that, to me, is beautiful.
Featured image via Getty Images for BET
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Ashley Renee is a soul food enthusiast, sometimes vegetarian, writer and spoken word poet, who doesn't trust boxed macaroni or cats. keep up with her @ashleyreneepoet on Twitter & Instagram.
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UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."