Willow Smith recently came out as polyamorous, a person having intimate relationships with more than one partner, to her mother in a recent Red Table Talk episode.
The 20-year-old singer said; “With polyamory, I feel like 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.
“So I was like, how can I structure the way that I approach relationships with that in mind?”
Willow Smith has always been open about her sexuality, even if it appears not to be set in stone. For example, in 2018 while speaking on the same show, she claimed not to be the kind of person that is constantly looking for new sexual experiences, and that she loves men and women equally. “I would definitely want one man, one woman,” Smith had said.
However, she is not the first female celebrity to openly admit to practising polyamory. In fact, her revelation may not have surprised her mother because she and Will Smith, her husband of 23+ years, have had that kind of relationship.
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Jada Pinkett Smith
Still fresh in the memory is August Alsina and Jada’s entanglement saga that made the news in July 2020. The video discussion about it between the celebrity couple became the most-watched original episode with a 24-hour margin, hitting 12million+ views.
As Alsina confirmed to radio host Angela Yee, he actually talked about the situation with the actor and got his permission. The whole drama got social media users giving hot takes, but Jada and Will’s relationship has always been open, call it polyamorous if you prefer.
The Sun mentioned that Will Smith was quoted as saying in 2005 about his marriage, “Our perspective is, you don’t avoid what’s natural. You’re going to be attracted to people. In our marriage vows, we didn’t say ‘forsaking all others’.”
Jada Pinkett Smith also concurs to this take both in action and in as many words too. “I’ve always told Will, ‘You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be OK,’ because at the end of the day, Will is his own man.
“I’m here as his partner, but he is his own man. He has to decide who he wants to be and that’s not for me to do for him. Or vice versa,” the actress said.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie agrees with Jada and Will Smith’s perspective of marriage. Her relationship with fellow actor Brad Pitt included them eating on the side. In 2016, Jolie said that she doubted fidelity was ‘absolutely essential’ for a relationship. Thus, hinting that their divorce had nothing to do with ‘cheating’, which many see as a deal-breaker.
“Neither Brad nor I have ever claimed that living together means to be chained together. We make sure that we never restrict each other,” the Tomb Raider actress said.
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Bella Thorne
American actress and OnlyFans adult content star Bella Thorne was engaged in a polyamorous relationship with musician Mod Sun and YouTube personality Tana Mongeau. Thorne had come out as bisexual in 2016 and but after breaking up with Mod Sun and Mongeau, she entered a serious relationship with Italian singer Benjamin Mascolo, from the musical group Benji & Fede. The two announced their engagement in March 2021.
While polyamory gives the room to be with more than one partner, it comes with an important caveat: all the partners involved must be informed and consent. This is important because many have come out to say that the thrill of having multiple sexual partners and hiding it from their partner is what makes cheating enticing. Hiding information from partners can make a polyamorous end. Let’s look at a couple of examples.
Demi Moore
Moore and her ex-husband Ashton Kutcher divorced because he failed to uphold one of the important tenets of an open relationship: to be open. Their marriage was popularly open but the details were not made public until Demi Moore’s tell-all autobiography in 2019. She revealed that in the early stages of their relationship, she had agreed to threesomes.
“I wanted to show him how great and fun I could be,” the 58-year-old actress said. Kutcher had overstepped boundaries by bringing Brittney Jones into their marital home and not informing her.
Shailene Woodley
The star of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (2008–2013) Shailene Woodley concurs with the honesty part of open relationships. “… there has to be a level of responsibility in any relationship dynamic, and that responsibility is simply honesty and communication and trust,” the actress says.
She claims to have been in both monogamous and polyamorous relationships in the past. “… there should be no rules except for the ones designed by two people in a partnership — or three people, whatever floats your boat!” Woodley adds.
Polyamorous relationships look to be a lot of fun but come with responsibilities that require hard work and respect. Willow Smith joins the growing number of female celebrities going into open relationships.
What do you think, are open relationships the best seeing that it reduces the likelihood of cheating or …?
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Hmmmn.