Jada Pinkett Smith is looking back on an emotional loss.
In a sneak peek of Monday’s episode of “Red Table Talk,” the “Girls Trip” star is brought to tears as she reflects on the tragic death of her longtime friend, Tupac Shakur.
“That was a huge loss in my life, because he was one of those people that I expected to be here,” Jada says. “My upset is more anger. You know what I’m saying? Because I feel that he left me. And I know that’s not true, and it’s a very selfish way to think about it, but I really did believe that he was going to be here for the long run.”
Jada and Tupac’s connection dates back to the ’80s, when the aspiring artists both attended the Baltimore School of the Arts. They quickly formed a tight-knit friendship that stayed strong – and platonic – through their respective rises to fame.
“I know that people want to always connect it in this romance thing, and that’s just because they don’t have the story,” she said in a 2017 appearance on “Sway in the Morning.”
“[Our friendship] was based in survival, how we held each other down. And when you have somebody that has your back when you feel like you’re nothing? That’s everything.”
Tupac was shot and killed in Las Vegas in September 1996. In a 2015 interview with Howard Stern, Jada shared that she and the “Dear Mama” rapper had had a falling out before his death.
“I felt just sadness, you know, for not having the opportunity to tell him that I loved him – but I know he knew that,” Jada said.
“It definitely taught me a lesson,” she later added, “which is: life is too short. Do not let disagreements stand in between you and people that love and care about.”
Watch Jada’s full conversation on Episode 2 of “Red Table Talk,” which debuts on May 14 on Facebook Watch.
"I miss him."
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) April 25, 2012