The actress says she 'thought about' taking her own life after being in dark places in the past.
Jada Pinkett Smith is continuing to open up about parenting.
The actress was a guest on Wednesday's Megyn Kelly Today, where she got candid on what it's like raising two teenagers, Jaden, 19, and Willow, 17, with her husband, Will.
During the interview, Jada confessed that giving up her career for her children was a real battle.
"Not only giving up my career, but giving up the freedom and the lifestyle I had been used to," she said. "It was just me. And, you know, Jaden was a surprise. He wasn't planned. So, my life changed quickly and there was a lot of adjustment to make."
"At that particular time, Will's career was just taking off, and somebody has to hold the fort down at home," she continued. "So, it was very challenging trying to figure out who I was supposed to be in this new life. Having to die the death of the old Jada, but I think that I kinda let a lot of that old Jada go that I didn't have to. It was kind of my idea of what I thought a mother should be, what I thought being in a family or being in a partnership was supposed to look like instead of looking at myself and going, 'What is it that I need that makes me happy within this new lifestyle?'"
The 46-year-old actress also opened up about the meaning behind the red table in her new Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk.
"It's the table of purification where we can bring subjects that may be difficult or not so easy to talk about, and it's also the table of transparency, the table of love, the table of passion, the table of friendship, the table of communion," she explained. "[And] yes, it's in my home."
"I just felt like, also in this world today, we talk about so much about what's happening on the outside, and we don't talk enough about what's going on within us," she added. "I wanted a place where we could feel safe to do that. I do that often, within my own family, so I was just like, 'Let's just share that.'"
One of the topics Red Table Talk touches on is mental health. Jada admitted to host Megyn Kelly that she's been in dark places before and has contemplated suicide.
"There have been times where I was in such deep despair that I also thought about taking my life," she recalled. "And there's not one answer. It's like, life is a journey to help us get to a place of healing."
"I wish somebody had told me that," she continued. "I wish somebody had told me that it's going to be OK. You know, we're going to have obstacles, you're going to have difficult times... you're going to have really dark times, but just understand, keep stepping because life starts to reveal itself to you and the light will come."
Hear more in the video below.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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