Willow Smith opens up about polyamory to mum Jada Pinkett Smith: ‘I have the least sex out of all of my friends’
Jada Pinkett Smith (L) and her daughter, Willow (R), discuss polyamory and if monogamy has become “antiquated” on an episode of Red Table Talk premiering on 28 April 2021. (Facebook/Red Table Talk)
Willow Smith has opened up about being polyamorous, saying she wants the “freedom” to be able to create a “relationship style” that works for her.
Willow, 20, came out on Red Table Talk two years ago, saying she loves “men and women equally” and would “definitely” consider polyamory. The Facebook Watch series features three generations of the Smith family having open conversations about “taboo” subjects. The most recent episode, broadcast on Wednesday (28 April), saw Willow talking openly about her decision to practice polyamory.
Willow said she felt like the “main foundation” of polyamory is the “freedom to be able to create a relationship style that works for you” and not just “stepping into monogamy” because “that’s what everyone around you says is the ‘right thing’ to do”.
“So I was like how can I structure the way that I approach relationships with that in mind,” Willow explained.
She added she discovered the “main reasons” why marriages don’t work and divorces happen is “infidelity”. Willow Smith said she was introduced to polyamory through a “non-sexual” lens.
“In my friend group, I’m the only polyamorous person, and I have the least sex out of all of my friends,” she added.
Jada Pinkett Smith ‘totally gets’ why Willow Smith is polyamorous
Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow’s mum and co-host of the show, said she accepted her daughter when she came out as polyamorous. She acknowledged that there was a “lot of beauty” that “sits outside of the conventional boxes” – like polyamory. Jada said: “When you were like, ‘Hey this is my get down’, I was like I totally get it.
“Wanting to set up your life in a way that you can have what it is that you want, I think anything goes as long as the intentions are clear.”
She added most people are practising monogamy because they “feel like they have no other choice”. Jada argued that monogamy should be presented as a choice – not as the default option.
“That’s the only part about marriage today and monogamy that I think is antiquated, that monogamy has to be your choice,” Jada said. “It can’t be because I’m told I’m supposed to do it this way.”
She added: “That, my dear, is deeply antiquated and no longer works.”
Willow Smith then explained that she can’t see herself getting married because the “history of marriage” irks her – especially its history for women. But, she said, she would see a circumstance where she needed to get married to a partner to further a common goal, using an example of sharing finances. However, Willow said she still believed she would practice polyamory in her future relationships.
