How Jada Pinkett Smith Counseled Jordyn Woods During Their Interview

"There's always a path and possibility towards healing."

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Jordyn Woods' explosive interview on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith has already garnered a lot of responses. Though attitudes to Woods range from infuriated (Khloé Kardashian) to sympathetic (Lena Dunham) and confused (much of Twitter), the episode of RTT was warm and empathetic towards the (ex?) best friend of Kylie Jenner. Host Pinkett Smith asked Woods gentle but specific questions, and paused often to counsel her on the situation

Which makes sense—Pinkett Smith and her husband said during the interview that the consider Woods family, and Woods reportedly turned to them for help because the Kardashians were out for blood. And however the Kardashians decide to treat Jordyn going forward, the Smiths have made clear that they'll be there to support her.

Here, the best quotes from Pinkett Smith (with a special appearance by Will) during the interview.

"If you feel as if you don't have skeletons in your closet, if you feel holier-than-thou, this might not be the place for you, and that's okay. But I've been here several times and the best way to deal with this kind of stuff is just to come clean."

"You know what they say: Black women can be the most disregarded and disrespected creatures on the Earth...it just seems like it's just so easy to target Black women, put everything on us, even if there's other people involved."

"Uncle Will felt like it was important to hold you through this, because we all make mistakes, and that's not to justify anything that you've done, but it is to say that I really felt like you needed an opportunity to tell your story at least, and then people can decide whatever."

"We love to think we're all so honest and that it's easy to tell the truth, but specifically when I was your age, I had no idea how to tell the truth or even understand the power of telling the truth. I had to tell many lies and get the consequence...to learn."

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Allowing Pain to Heal

"I just think giving everybody their process...it takes many attempts, and just allowing hurts to heal, little by little in order for people to feel safe enough, open enough to invite a repair...Sometimes it takes years, sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes it takes days, but when there's a lot of love there, there's always a path and possibility towards healing, and I know there's a lot of love between you and that family."

To The Viewers

"To the RTT family specifically, I ask for compassion, and I ask that we raise this young lady up with love and kindness, help her heal, and she is learning and growing from this particular incident. And I just ask that we support her in this journey of growth."

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All Will Be Well

"I love you, I'm proud of you, all will be well. Real talk. You really grew up in the last two weeks."

We've All Been Here

"We've all been here in some form."

And From Will...

"The world attacks, it just happens. You'll never get around the world attacking, but I just want you to know that you are supported. I got you, and we got you...Take your medicine, and tell your truth. This is a part of what growing up is, this is a part of what learning is. A part of what family is. This world is not going to break you. We won’t allow it."

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.