Jada Pinkett Smith is ready to share an in-depth look into her life in a way that suits her best, in her own words.
On Thursday (Oct. 6), Carrie Thornton, the Dey Street Books VP and editorial director who brokered the book deal with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), released an statement expressing excitement for the forthcoming memoir, saying: “Jada Pinkett Smith chronicles lessons learned in the course of a difficult but riveting journey — a rollercoaster ride from the depths of suicidal depression to the heights of personal rediscovery and the celebration of authentic feminine power.”
Thornton continued, “The world has imposed many labels and narratives on Jada Pinkett Smith. This is down to the realities of our media landscape, but also the roles thrust upon women by culture. At the center of all the speculation and false stories is a woman who, like so many women, has had to reconcile her personhood with the needs of those she loves. This memoir is Jada giving the world her truth, taking readers on a journey from lost girl to woman warrior. It is my great honor to take that journey with her.”
According to Dey Street Books’ announcement, Pinkett Smith will recount her “unconventional upbringing in Baltimore” — as the daughter of addicts to a promising theatre student and a violent interlude as a petty drug dealer — her friendship with the late rapper Tupac Shakur, falling in love and marrying her husband, Will Smith, and her experiences with motherhood.
The 51-year-old also discusses how she was “in crisis at age 40” and had to make excruciating choices to redefine her life. “Jada’s complicated marriage to Smith and her love story with herself,” the book’s description indicates, “are at the heart of this powerful book.”
The untitled memoir is set to be published in the fall of 2023.