Entertainment

Will And Jada Are Redefining Normal With Their 'Open' Relationship

by Nicole Estrella

Jada Pinkett Smith has decided to come forth and address the rumor mill, speaking about her supposed open relationship with her husband of nearly 20 years, Will Smith.

The actress recently spent some time with Howard Stern on his Serious XM radio talk show.

In true Jada fashion, she approached Stern’s questions with a fierce sense of confidence and a zero tolerance for bullsh*t:

"You gotta trust who you’re with, and at the end of the day, I’m not here to be anybody’s watcher. I’m not his watcher. He’s a grown man. I trust that the man that Will is a man of integrity. "He’s got all the freedom in the world, and as long as Will can look at himself in the mirror and be okay, I’m good."

Snaps for you, J.

I love how she tastefully avoids full-blown admittance of adultery, but rather, takes pride in full-blown acceptance of the human condition.

The truth of the matter is, your significant other will always notice another attractive person.

He or she will smile at or flirt with the occasional sexy stranger, and chances are, he or she will even enjoy a good old-fashioned fantasy every now and again.

This is not to discount a person's level of commitment or undermine the value of monogamy.

This is merely a matter of an animalistic nature, one from which we all were born.

Thanking God and paying homage to the strength and integrity of her husband, Jada makes light of the rumors and assures Stern she has never been foolish enough to believe any one person is capable of ignoring the inherent impulse of attraction.

Moral of the story being, even if the Smiths are comfortable dipping their toes in adulterous waters, one thing is abundantly clear: They are happy. And, it seems the act of being nakedly honest is what keeps them that way.

Considering this, it occurred to me the happiest couples I know conduct themselves under much of the same philosophy.

They don’t suffocate one another with guidelines on how to behave or persecute one another for expressing themselves.

The best couples I’ve met have relished in open communication and encouraged their counterpart to show their true colors, free of judgment.

I, personally, have witnessed and played party to dozens of relationships built on insecurities and generalizations, and they’ve never materialized into something positive.

I’ve been the girl who goes through his phone; I’ve helped friends of mine hack into their boyfriends' emails, or requested to follow some anonymous female on Instagram to investigate her motives for liking a picture.

I spent years trying to portray the version of myself I thought men would most likely pursue before I realized being dishonest did me no favors.

I realized it was exactly these types of relationships that had been making it so hard for any of us to believe in the existence of something greater.

Perhaps, we could all benefit a bit from making honesty the code to live and love by. I would like to believe once you are completely honest with your partner, there will be no need for rules and limitations.

You won’t battle with distrust or suspicion, and you won’t find a reason to accuse.

When it’s right, you’ll have faith the one you’ve chosen to love will protect that love honestly.

Will and Jada are setting a new tone for couples of Hollywood and citizens alike with their realistic approach to marital compatibility.

I applaud them. It’s simple: Be someone you can be proud of and be with someone you trust to treat your heart with the respect it deserves.

Here’s to hoping honest relationships are becoming the new normal.