The internet has found a new buzz word: Entanglement. That’s right, if you’ve been a regular on these social media streets, then you have likely seen the Red Table talk interview/clip with Jada and Will Smith. In that session, the much-admired couple talked about Jada’s affair dubbed ‘entanglement.’ The relationship was with August Alsina, a rap artist who is twenty-one years younger than her.
Wait, in case you haven’t followed the news and are shocked by this ‘bombshell,’ let me first begin by saying the couple were allegedly separated at the time. For many who have followed the model twenty-five-year marriage between Will and Jada, the pain hits a different way. It’s like realising that your super mentor is not anywhere perfect. Then again, who is?
So this is not a cheap swipe at their personal issues. I have always considered marital issues as private and sacrosanct, and quite frankly, I feel bad for people who by virtue of their celebrity status are not allowed to have a quiet marriage. Even when some of them want to stay private, you can trust fans and the media to scoop out the nearest scandal from miles away.
You may ask, ‘So why did they put themselves out there if they didn’t want people to talk about them or their business?’ It’s possible it was a PR stunt to clear out Alsina’s initial reference to the affair. It’s also possible the couple felt they were accountable to their followers. With these things, we can never really know. Either way, the tendency is for us to take up stones and be the first to judge.
So maybe, just maybe, instead of throwing jabs at Jada and Will (And trust me, with all the funny memes out there, it can be hard to refrain.) We can consider showing a little empathy. It helps to keep in mind that no person’s private life is perfect. We all show the highlights. So even your favs have some shadows they’d rather not share. Let’s all just be a little kinder.
I think people also forget that this couple has children who are also on the internet(I honestly hope they’re taking a social media break) who will see their parents being made fun of at every turn. You can make a difference by not sharing the next funny meme you see. Laugh yes. Be upset, yes. Interrogate the situation yes. But things must be hard for the couple now. Let’s see if we can make their lives a little more bearable.