Recovery Podcastland: Red Table Talk Alcohol & Substance Abuse Disorder

Whether you watch Red Table Talk on Facebook Watch or listen to it on Apple Podcasts, this is an episode you will not want to miss. Join Jada Pinkett-Smith, her daughter, Willow Smith, and her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, as they open their home for a series of groundbreaking and healing conversations. That’s three generations around one table with no filter, and we are here for it!

The Nut(ty Professor) and Bolts of this Conversation

Jada, sober for 22 years, and Adrienne, sober for over 30 years, candidly talk about their past struggles surrounding addiction. Self-claimed as a “walking miracle,” Jada speaks openly about a time she passed out on the set of filming The Nutty Professor back in 1996. How could she not realize how deep addiction ran in her family after all of the years of witnessing her mother (Adrienne) struggle with heroin? A self-proclaimed binge drinker, Jada didn’t think she had a problem with her party Thursday to Monday morning lifestyle. “When it’s time to go, we gonna go,” she said of behavior. “So I wasn’t the type of person drinking every day; I was like a weekend party girl. Thursday to Monday morning, I would go.”

“When it’s time to go, we gonna go,” she said of behavior. “So I wasn’t the type of person who was drinking every day, I was like a weekend party girl. Thursday to Monday morning, I would go.”

Jada Pinkett-Smith, RED TABLE TALK 7.7.21

Willow’s Thoughts on Her Personal Substance Use

The red table was turned when Willow freely talked about her regular cannabis usage and how taking two months “off” per year is what currently keeps her “in line.” Willow claimed with confidence, “I’m just so happy that I’m a regular old stoner!” She went on to say, “That sounds intense!” And as Willow was attempting to get her point across, Adrienne chimed in, frustrated with how deep addiction runs on her family. The conversation is lively and one you will want to watch.

Fresh Liver Anyone?

Shit gets real when special guest Dr. Jessica Mellinger starts to explain to the women exactly what kind of damage alcohol can do to the female liver. Willow looks like she might pass out as two livers, one healthy and one with cirrhosis, are brought out and placed on the red table. Think that one glass of red wine a day isn’t hurting you? This doctor thinks otherwise and can back it up with studies on this subject. The conversation briefly hovers over how women’s wine and cocktail culture is incredibly damaging.

Have a Seat at the Red Table

Perhaps the most exciting part of this episode is hearing three women with various lengths of sobriety who are vulnerable share their individual journeys. These are harrowing stories of hitting rock bottom and binge drinking from successful, high-powered women: the teacher of the year, an NYC Attorney, and a global vice president.

@thisnakedmind

First up is a familiar face to many: former global vice president Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Sober Curator Janeill Besecker has reviewed her book, and you can read about that in our #QUITLIT section. Her book has ignited a movement across the country, helping thousands of people forever change their relationship with alcohol.

@bottomlesstosober

Next, we hear from Jessica Dueñas, a Former Kentucky Teacher of the Year, who shares her story and celebrates having been sober for over five months. You can find out even more about her story on her blog, Bottomless to Sober.

@soberblackgirlsclub

The episode concludes with one of my personal favorite Instagram accounts, Khadi, the Founder of @SoberBlackGirlsClub. This robust club actively serves the underrepresented women of color population and has grown exponentially over the past year of the global pandemic. She offers many ways for women to get connected via a Private Facebook Group, Club on Clubhouse App, and weekly virtual meetings. Check out her Linktr.ee page and find out how to get involved and support with donations.

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A Disco Ball is Hundreds of Pieces of Broken Glass, Put Together to Make a Magical Ball of Light. You are NOT Broken, Friend. You are a DISCO BALL!

Resources Are Available

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.

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