Jada Pinkett Smith says it’s “hard” to maintain a good sex life with her husband, Will Smith, because they’re determined to communicate about their needs.
The 50-year-old actress has been in a relationship with Will for almost three decades, and has said the pair are big believers in taking “accountability” and communicating, rather than expecting each other to “read minds.”
But Jada admitted their desire to talk things through can make it “uncomfortable” when it comes to sex, as they both find it hard to properly talk about their wants and needs in the bedroom without feeling awkward.
Speaking during an episode of “Red Table Talk” – where she was joined by her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, and guest star, Gwyneth Paltrow – she said: “It’s hard. The thing Will and I talk about a lot is the journey. We started in this at a very young age, you know, 22 years old. That’s why the accountability part really hit for me because I think you expect your partner to know [what you need], especially when it comes to sex. It’s like, ‘Well, if you love me, you should know. If you love me, you should read my mind.’ That’s a huge pitfall.”
And when Gwyneth joked she feels “crushed” when people can’t read her mind, Jada added: “Crushed! You tell me what you need. Tell me what you want, and on top of it, I know that I have to be accountable to do the same … I really try.
“It’s uncomfortable, but it’s deeply healthy, and I think around sex, because it’s something that we don’t talk about and there’s so much fantasy around it.”
Jada’s comments come after Will, 53, recently said he and the Girls Trip star give each other “trust and freedom” in their marriage.
He said: “We have given each other trust and freedom, with the belief that everybody has to find their own way. And marriage for us can’t be a prison. And I don’t suggest our road for anybody. I don’t suggest this road for anybody. But the experiences that the freedoms that we’ve given one another and the unconditional support, to me, is the highest definition of love.”
