Jada Pinkett Smith revealed how dealing with “a lot of adult stressful things at a young age” led her to believe showing emotion was a sign of weakness.
During a preview of this week’s Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk, the 50-year-old actress explained how she’s had a hard time “dealing with the emotions that come with it” because she was raised to just “stand up” and overcome her problems the pressures in their lives.
“So those women that you see that you think are so strong, there’s this scared little girl underneath. And I am,” the Girls Trip star confessed as she struggled to hold back tears while looking at her 21-year-old daughter, Willow.
Emotional: Jada Pinkett Smith revealed how dealing with “a lot of adult stressful things at a young age” led her to believe showing emotion was a sign of weakness
The Memories hitmaker seemed moved as she listened to her mother’s raw revelation, before replying, “That’s why we’re doing the work.”
In the episode titled How Destructive Mothers Damage Their Daughters: Could This Be You? Kelly McDaniel and Pinkett Smith’s mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris will also be seen at the table.
Last month, the mother-daughter duo opened up about their respective struggles with anxiety when speaking to Kim Basinger, 68, and Ireland Baldwin, 26.
Tough exterior: During a preview of this week’s Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk, the 50-year-old actress explained how she found it difficult to “deal with the emotions to come” when she was raised to just “buck up” and her Overcoming problems with all the pressures that are going on in their lives
“So those women that you see that you think are so strong, there’s this scared little girl underneath. And I am,” the Girls Trip star confessed as she struggled to hold back tears while looking at her 21-year-old daughter, Willow
Pinkett Smith revealed that Willow struggled with anxiety to realize she suffered from it growing up as well.
“It took me a long time to understand Willow. I mean just her fear. I had a really hard time developing a relationship because two things — her lifestyle and how she grew up very differently from me — I don’t know what it’s like to be a kid under hot lights,” Jada began.
“And then just not knowing how to comfort her, not knowing what help she needs, not understanding the behavior,” she added.
Personable: The Memories hitmaker seemed moved as she listened to her mother’s raw revelation, before replying: “That’s why we’re doing the work.”
Always Honest: In the episode titled How Destructive Moms Harm Their Daughters: Could It Be You? Kelly McDaniel and Pinkett Smith’s mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris will also be seen at the table
She added that as a child, she “always chewed my fingernails down to the cuticles. But they didn’t say it was fear. I was a nail biter, that’s it.’
Slowly, the actress began to see from her daughter’s behavior that she, too, suffered from anxiety growing up.
“One thing I would say, if I need to deal with her anxiety and learn about it, I had to look at some of my own behaviors and my mother’s behaviors and say, well, of course I probably have some fears in terms of how I was raised.” , admitted Jada.
“It’s been very difficult up until now just being there for her in the way she needs to be,” she added.
Like mother like daughter: Last month the couple opened up about their respective struggles with anxiety while speaking to Kim Basinger, 68, and Ireland Baldwin, 26
Being there: “It’s been very difficult up until now just to be there for her in the way she needs to be,” she added
Willow recalled that her own anxiety seemed to “trigger” her own mother, to which Jada agreed.
“You used to just say, ‘No. I can’t watch this,” Willow said, adding she would be “on the floor, tears, shaking, confused.”
Jada’s own mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, even believes she suffered from anxiety too, although it wasn’t talked about at the time.
Trigger: Willow recalled that her own fear seemed to “trigger” her own mother, to which Jada agreed
Jada’s Mother: Jada’s own mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, even believes she suffered from anxiety too, although it wasn’t talked about at the time
“I think in our world I almost saw it as a weakness. We just couldn’t afford to be anxious,” Banfield-Norris said during the episode.
“I got away with my drug abuse. Which I think numbed me for what was going on with you. I just didn’t want to deal with it, deal with anything in my life,” she added.
In the episode, Ireland also revealed that she was “ashamed” of her substance abuse and eating disorders, while her mother told Basinger she suffered from agoraphobia and “wouldn’t leave the house,” to the point where she even did ‘Relearn’ had to drive.’
Couldn’t afford it: “I think in our world I almost saw it as a weakness. We just couldn’t afford to be anxious,” Banfield-Norris said during the episode
Full table: In the episode, Ireland also opened up about how she was ‘ashamed’ of her substance abuse and eating disorders, while her mother told Basinger she suffers from agoraphobia and ‘wouldn’t leave the house’, to the point which she even had to. “Relearn to drive”