On the latest episode of Red Table Talk, Willow Smith revealed that she is polyamorous. Polyamory is defined as the act of being romantically involved with multiple partners. Often confused with polygamy, polyamory refers to dating and being with multiple partners, whereas polygamy refers to marrying multiple partners.

While the news may come as an initial shocker to her Gammy (Adrienne Banfield-Norris) and viewers, it shouldn’t. Willow hinted at being polyamorous nearly two years ago where she disclosed she could see herself with both men and women.  In the 2019 episode, Willow disclosed that she “loves men and women equally and so I would definitely want one man, one woman.”

Willow continued, “I feel like I could be polyfidelitous with those two people. I’m not the kind of person that is constantly looking for new sexual experiences.”

In that same episode, the then-younger Willow stated that she could be polyfidelitous (committing exclusively to specific, multiple individuals). She explained, “I focus a lot on the emotional connection and I feel like if I were to find two people of the different genders that I really connected with and we had a romantic and sexual connection, I don’t feel like I would feel the need to try to go find more.”

Now 20, Smith, revisited the topic and shared her concerns with monogamy and the ability for individuals to conform to what many in poly life see as rigid and unrealistic demands.

“I feel like the main foundation [of polyamory] is the freedom to be able to create a relationship style that works for you and not just [to be] stepping into monogamy because that’s what everyone around you says is the right thing to do,” Willow explained.

Furthering her point, Willow stated, “So I was like, how can I structure the way that I approach relationships with that in mind? Also, doing research into polyamory, the main [reason] …why divorces happen is infidelity.”

Gammy, whose views on monogamy were labeled as “antiquated” viewed polyamory as merely a path for sexual gratification to which Willow rebutted the claim.

“I mean, I’ll give you an example. Let’s say you haven’t always been the kind of person that wanted to have sex all the time, but your partner is. Are you gonna be the person to say, you know, ‘Just because I don’t have these needs, you can’t have them either?’ And so that’s kind of one of the reasons why I actually was interested in poly because I was introduced to it through kind of a nonsexual lens.”

Willow’s mother Jada, came from a place of understanding, which could possibly be from experience as she talked about her “entanglement” last year with August Alsina.

“When you were like, ‘Hey, this is my get-down, I was like, ‘I totally get it.’ Wanting to set up your life in a way that you can have what it is that you want, I think anything goes as long as the intentions are clear. You know what I mean?” Jada explained.

Continuing on, Jada stated, “Most people are practicing monogamy because they feel like they have no other choice. We all know that most people out here [are] doing unethical non-monogamy any-damn-way, OK?… Practicing monogamy has to be a choice that you make, just like practicing polyamory. It can’t be because I’m told I’m supposed to do it this way. That, my dear, is deeply antiquated and no longer works.”