Jada Pinkett Smith said codependency made her want to 'just help heal' August Alsina during their relationship

Jada Pinkett Smith opened up about a relationship during a break in her marriage and her journey with codependency during a recent episode of "Red Table Talk."

Will Smith sat in Pinkett Smith's usual interviewing seat at the red table, while Pinkett Smith candidly spoke about how she healed during her relationship with singer August Alsina. 

Pinkett Smith and Smith said they spent time apart four years ago, thinking their marriage was over. It was then that Pinkett Smith began a romantic relationship with Alsina. 

"I just wanted to feel good," Pinkett Smith said. "It had been so long since I felt good and it was really a joy to just help heal somebody. I think that has a lot to do with my codependency, which is another thing I had to learn to break in this cycle, just that idea of needing to fix and being drawn to people that need help."

Codependency can lead someone to prioritize 'fixing' someone else to feel happiness or self-worth

Codependency is a pattern of behavior where a person prioritizes a relationship — whether it's with a lover or family member — over their own needs, according to Healthline. Typically, people who are codependent feel like they need the relationship to live, even if they're miserable in it.

"Whether it's your health, whether it's your addictions, there's something about that childhood trauma that feels as though it can be fixed through fixing people versus fixing me," Pinkett Smith said. 

"In the process of that relationship [with Alsina], I definitely realized that you can't find happiness outside of yourself," Pinkett Smith said. 

Watch the full "Red Table Talk" episode below.

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