Jada Pinkett Smith says alpha males ‘don’t pay attention to feelings’ on Red Table Talk

Jada Pinkett Smith spoke about “alpha male spirit” during Hayden Panettiere’s appearance on her Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk, on Wednesday (28 September).

During the show, Panettiere spoke about her struggle with post-partum depression, which fuelled her addiction to alcohol.

The Heroes actor was, at the time, married to heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko who she said didn’t understand her mental health issues.

“I respect him for being such a driven human being... athletes, they’re very diligent, that mentality is just pretty incredible,” Panettiere said of her ex-husband, from whom she separated in 2018.

“But, he’s also a man who doesn’t have any sisters so he really thought I was doing it to myself,” she continued.

“[He thought] It was a matter of willpower,” Pinkett Smith’s cohost and mother, Adrienne Banfield Norris, interjected.

Panettiere revealed that the boxer signs off his emails writing, “If you control your mind, you control everything,” which she said frustrates her because it’s “so not true”.

Pinkett Smith then said that she has had to learn that men with “that alpha male spirit” “don’t pay attention to feelings”.

In March, Pinkett Smith’s husband Will Smith infamously slapped Oscar presenter Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke at his wife’s expense.

Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up

Earlier this month, Rock denounced Will’s apology.

In a video shared in July, Will had said: “I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”

He also answered fan questions about the moment, and denied that Pinkett Smith had asked him to act on her behalf.

“I made a choice on my own,” Smith said.