red table talk polyamory april 2021 episode willow smith 4
Willow Smith discussing polyamory on "Red Table Talk."
Red Table Talk/Facebook
  • Willow Smith opened up about being polyamorous on the latest episode of "Red Table Talk."
  • Smith said she was partly interested because she "was introduced to it through a non-sexual lens."
  • The 20-year-old star also said that the problematic history of marriage "really irks" her.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Willow Smith opened about how she became polyamorous and why the problematic history of marriage frustrates her.

"With polyamory, I feel like the main foundation is the freedom to be able to create a relationship style that works for you and not just stepping into monogamy because that's what everyone around you says is 'the right thing to do,'" Smith said on the latest episode of "Red Table Talk" on Facebook Watch, released on Wednesday.

She continued: "So I was like, 'How can I structure the way that I approach relationships with that in mind?' Also, doing research into polyamory, the main reason why divorces happen is infidelity."

Smith was joined at the table by cohosts Jada Pinkett Smith (her mother) and Adrienne Banfield Norris (her maternal grandmother). On the episode, the three family members had a candid discussion about polyamory, which is defined as openly engaging in more than one romantic relationship at the same time.

Polyamory falls under the umbrella of ethical non-monogamy, a dating practice in which partners can openly date multiple people without deceit or infidelity. There is no single way to do non-monogamy, as relationship structures can range from throuples (composed of three people dating each other) to polycules (which involve four or more people dating each other).

Smith, who's the daughter of Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, said that one of the reasons she was interested in ethical non-monogamy was because she "was introduced to it through a non-sexual lens."

"In my friend group, I'm the only polyamorous person and I have the least sex out of all my friends," the 20-year-old star said in response to Banfield Norris suggesting that people are gravitating toward polyamory because of sex.

red table talk polyamory april 2021 episode gam jada and willow
Adrienne Banfield Norris, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Willow Smith discussing polyamory on "Red Table Talk."
Red Table Talk/Facebook

According to Hailey Gill, a non-binary fursuit designer who has been practicing polyamory for over 10 years, non-monogamous dating can give people the freedom to love more than one person at once in an ethical way.

Though common stereotypes about polyamorous relationships include being greedy or just wanting to have a lot of sex, actual poly people told Insider the relationships can go much deeper.

"I wish people knew that polyamory is more than just for sex," Gill previously told Insider. "It's a way to bond and share your love with more than one person and to show everyone a caring partner."

Pinkett Smith said that she was supportive of her daughter's decision to be polyamorous

"I was like, 'I totally get it,'" the 49-year-old actress said. "Wanting to set up your life in a way that you can have what it is that you want, I think that anything goes as long as the intentions are clear to everyone, more to yourself than anything."

The cohosts were also in agreement that whether a person practices monogamy or polyamory, it has to be a decision that they make for themselves.

"That's the only part about marriage today and monogamy today that I think is antiquated, that monogamy has to be your choice," the "Girls Trip" star said. "It can't be because I'm told I'm supposed to do it this way. That, my dear, is deeply antiquated and no longer works."

Willow isn't the only one open to a polyamorous lifestyle, as research suggests more people are considering different dating styles.

A study published by the Kinsey Institute in 2019 found 81% of people said they had fantasized about open relationships at least once in their lives.

red table talk polyamory april 2021 episode jada pinkett smith 1
Jada Pinkett Smith discussing polyamory on "Red Table Talk."
Red Table Talk/Facebook

When asked to share her thoughts on marriage, Smith said that she was primarily against it

She said she would only consider the union if there was a common purpose.

"The history of marriage really irks me, just the history of marriage as a whole and what it has represented over the years for women in particular," she said.

Smith continued, "I feel like the only way that I would get married is, let's say me and my partner or partners wants to help people and we need to put our finances together to make that vision happen. That's the only way I could see myself getting married."

"There has to be a purpose beyond, 'I think you're cute,'" she added.

After speaking with guests on "RTT" who practice polyamory, Smith concluded: "I feel so excited and seen because I've been studying polyamory for a really long time and I just want to show that there is so much here to be mined and to be uncovered."

Read the original article on Insider

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