Willow Smith Explains What Polyamory Means to Her Mother and Grandmother
Published June 16 2021, 7:15 p.m. ET
"Transparent Soul" singer and rising star Willow Smith is getting candid about her dating life. Willow hosts a talk show with her mother and grandmother, Jada Pinkett Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norri, where they openly talk about a variety of topics.
During one episode, Willow revealed that she's actually polyamorous and explained what that means to her family members.
Willow Smith revealed during an interview that she was polyamorous.
During an episode of the Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk, Willow, her mother, and her grandmother talked about Willow's dating life in depth. During the conversation, Willow explained to her family members that she's polyamorous and what that means for her.
"It's about being able to have the freedom to create a relationship for yourself," she said of her decision to practice polyamory.
Willow continued, explaining how being polyamorous means to her that she can focus more on the connections she builds with people rather than the expectations that typically come with a monogamous relationship.
"With polyamory, I think 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," she said. "I was like, how can I structure the way that I approach relationships with that in mind?"
Willow cited that many marriages fall apart because of infidelity as one of the reasons behind the decision.
"Most people are practicing monogamy because they feel like they have no other choice," Jada said in response to her daughter's decision. "We all know that most people out here are doing non-ethical non-monogamy any d--n way."
Her grandmother, on the other hand, was not entirely sold on the concept.
"There's comfort in that it provides too almost like a social order to life and setting boundaries and commitments," she said. "I guess I'm just not really clear on what it offers you."
Willow also admitted she's not keen on the concept of marriage and does not see herself walking down the aisle in the future.
"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. "Let's say me and my partner or partners want to help people, and we need to put our finances together to make that vision happen. That is the only way I could see myself getting married."
What does it mean to be polyamourous?
While your first instinct may be to think of the polygamous relationships of the Sister Wives, polyamory is actually different. The concept refers to maintaining ongoing romantic and sexual relationships with multiple partners simultaneously. It has an emphasized focus on consent for all parties involved — making this very different from the Tinder hookup who says they don't do "labels" to avoid commitment.
Some have made arguments for polyamory to be considered part of the LGBTQ+ community, though it's not officially. Those who practice polyamory may consider themselves members of the LGBTQ+ community for different reasons, though their decision to practice ethical and consensual non-monogamy does not fall under that umbrella.
