Black Love is back for its sixth and final season and is sharing the love stories of more couples on how and why they choose to stay committed. This season features Adrienne “Gammy” Banfield-Norris and her husband Rodney. Gammy became famous as the mother of Jada Pinkett Smith and for her right-to-the-chase commentary on Facebook Watch’s Red Table Talk. As a fan favorite, it’s the first time she’s sharing her and Rodney’s love story in such an in-depth way. And a typically laid-back Rodney is here to support her every step of the way. Shadow and Act Unscripted spoke to the couple about finding love in the latter part of their lives. The couple also dished on how they make their marriage work, with Gammy’s career booming at this stage.
This is Gammy’s fourth marriage. It’s the first for Rodney. Despite being married previously and things not working out, Rodney wanted to experience a union with her. And she happily obliged.
“I love, love. I love being married,” she told us. “I love the partnership and the commitment that comes with that. And I wanted to experience that again and hopefully with someone who was going to stick and stay. And I think I've found that with Rodney."
Rodney knew Gammy was the one. They’d been together for several years before tying the knot. And their friendship spanned decades. He actually accompanied Gammy on her trek to drop Jada off at college in the ’80s.
Something I wanted to experience also. I never had that level of commitment with anyone before. We had a 4-year courtship before we got married. So I felt like we were at a place that we needed to take it to the next level or not. And that was something that we both wanted to do. And it's been more than I could have imagined,” Rodney gushed.
What makes Rodney stand out from other partners she had is the level of support he offers. Almost immediately after they wed, Gammy began traveling to the west coast for her work on the Emmy-award-winning series Red Table Talk. It’s been a huge success. And as a result, she spends a lot of time away for work.
“We didn't get married to be apart,” Rodney explained. “But as a result of her being on the Table, we live on different coasts. My business is on the East Coast, and her business is on the West Coast. So that's a challenge plus. But, you know, we work every day to figure that out.”
Gammy says she is grateful for Rodney’s support. “One thing that I really love about Rodney, too, is that when that opportunity came for me, we didn’t realize how it was going to keep us separated for so much of the time,” she added. “But he did not stand in the way of that opportunity. He has supported me fully through this red table talk. And, you know, you know, our men would not be so.”
Check out the full video interview below, which also features the series’ creators, Codie and Tommy Oliver. Black Love airs on OWN every Saturday night.
