This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
On July 2, 2020, R&B singer August Alsina made headlines with claims that he had a years-long relationship with actress and Red Table Talk host Jada Pinkett Smith, with the alleged blessing of her husband Will Smith.
Alsina, 27, claimed that he met Pinkett Smith, 48, through her son Jaden in 2015, and that they even attended the 2017 BET Awards together.
According to Alsina, Pinkett Smith gave him her blessing to pursue a romantic relationship with her, stating in an interview with Angela Yee, 'I actually sat down with Will and had a conversation due to the transformation from their marriage to life partnership …, he gave me his blessing.'
However, Pinkett Smith's spokesperson has denied the claims, stating that they are 'Absolutely not true', while Will Smith's representative has called Alsina's claims 'wrong'.
Alsina's claims have sparked controversy, particularly after lyrics from his 2019 track 'Nunya' sparked speculation that he was referring to Pinkett Smith.
Alsina has maintained that he did not want to cause trouble and only wanted to share his truth, stating, 'Contrary to what people may believe, I am not a troublemaker. I don’t like drama. And I also don’t think that it is ever important for people to know what I do, who I sleep with, who I date…,'
