Being a celebrity is like sailing on a ship without a rudder. You might think you’re in charge, but in reality, your secrets and private affairs are on display like the day’s specials at a neighborhood restaurant. Jada Pinkett Smith knows this all too well.

You might recognize her name from her industry titan husband, Will Smith, or perhaps from her starring roles in The Nutty Professor and Madagascar. Jada carries a presence that’s as undeniable as a teacup balancing on a kitty’s head—endeared to many yet unfailingly misunderstood.

Let’s dial it back a smidge to 1997, when Jada tied the knot with Will. Fast forward to today, and their kids, Jaden, who now embraces the peculiarity of being 26, and Willow, fresh at the age of 23, are the fruit of this robust union. But hold the press! As blissful as it may seem, the Smith family hasn’t danced through life without graffiti from the media paintbrush.

The paparazzi have scrutinized them more than chefs scrutinize soufflés to avoid deflation. And let’s be honest, the infamous Oscar incident in 2022, when Will bestowed an unexpected facial greeting to Chris Rock, didn’t exactly smooth their public image.

Ah, yes, the event we all need reminding of about as much as we need another hole in our heads. The slap was preceded by a joke about Jada’s alopecia—a real eyebrow-raiser (pun absolutely intended). Chris’s remark, “Jada, I can’t wait for G.I. Jane 2,” might have seemed like harmless banter to some, yet it struck a chord so discordant, one could hear it reverberating through Hollywood boulevard.

Everyone’s got an opinion, and you can bet your last dollar there was a swell of clamorous debate following that episode. But slap aside, Jada’s contributions reached beyond the acting world. She was the queen of candid conversations on ‘Red Table Talk,’ a groundbreaking talk show she hosted alongside her mom and daughter Willow from 2018 to 2023.

This show was like a treasure chest, albeit not as sparkly if jewels were replaced with controversial truths and stirring admissions. One episode had viewers bolted to their seats as Jada peeled off another vibrant layer of her life’s narrative.

Sitting across from Will, she dropped a bombshell, confessing to an affair—or in her repertoire of endearing euphemisms, an “entanglement”—with a 31-year-old hip-hop artist, August Alsina.

Why August, you might ask? Well, when Jada found herself on emotional crutches, dealing with her own internal struggles, August became an unexpected emotional crutch. The entanglement began, she explained, as their family tried to nurse him back to health, setting the stage for a tale that would soon have everyone reaching for their popcorn.

“At first, our family outpouring was focused on his health,” Jada reflected. Yet, intricacies of human relationships spun their web wider, as she continued, “from there you and I went through a very difficult time.”

Can you hear it? The inevitable chorus of “oohs” and “aahs,” judgments flying from tabloids like confetti and armchair critics mulling it over backwards at their many miles’ distance? The more they whispered and wondered, the more Jada stood her ground, transparent about her mistakes, the ebbs and flows of her marriage to Will, and the sticky strands of her own narrative.

Fast-forward to today, and Jada Pinkett Smith remains one of those celebrities who churn the waters of public opinion. Her life is far from the fairy tale love story often spun in Hollywood. Whether experimenting with ‘perfect’ isn’t enough, or just accepting messy is the new black, we can only watch and keep sipping our herbal teas.

With a tale this thrilling unfolding, rest assured we’ll be hearing more from the House of Smith. So, keep your gaze fixed and your Twitter feeds refreshed because when it comes to Jada Pinkett Smith—darling, the saga is very much to be continued.

—Mary’s Opinion: If history has taught us anything, it’s that celebrity marriages are like an episode of Days of Our Lives: endlessly entertaining. Jada’s affair? Will’s Oscar slap? Each chapter leaves us gasping for more. Much like the enigma of inflatable neck pillows—is there ever really a correct orientation? Keep those Red Tables turning, Jada, because we are certainly all ears.