It's estimated that Jada Pinkett Smith is worth $50 million, but you won't catch her lending money to family members. When her bank account is partnered with her husband Will Smith, the Hollywood couple is reportedly worth an estimated $400 million. It wouldn't be farfetched to believe that their loved ones may ask for a few dollars here and there, but on an episode of Red Table Talk, Jada revealed that she has made it a rule to not lend family members any money.
“For people like us, who came from backgrounds where we didn’t have much, don’t feel guilty,” said Jada. “I spent so many years feeling guilty and my guilt made me feel like I owed everybody and I wasn’t allowed to say, ‘No.’ And that’s just not true, right?” So, she gave herself, and others, rules.
“First of all, I don’t lend money,” she said. “I only give money that I am willing to give like, ‘This is a gift.’ I do not lend money because that turns into a lot of problems, just as far [as] the expectation of people paying you back or what have you... So I tend to not give where I can’t just say, ‘Here’s a gift to you.’ Specifically, people who are close to me, ‘cause I’m not trying to have fallouts over money.”
Additionally, Jada mentioned that she will financially help people, but only those that are ready for that help. Jada added, "Somebody’s like, ‘I want a new house,’ but they don’t have a job to support the house they’re trying to buy. It’s like, well, you’re not ready for that. So, I’m not about to help you get into something that ultimately is going to make more difficulty for you, right? And so, I really had to look at that. So, I’ve also learned to help people with resources, with education.”
She also explained that she no longer allows people to make her feel guilty. "People will make you feel like, ‘You owe me. I was standing next to you. I grew up in the house with you. I did this and that with you I knew you when.’ And at the end of the day, you don’t owe nobody nothing.”
Check out the clip of the episode below and let us know if you have rules for lending money to your loved ones.