Who is August Alsina? What to know about the man behind Jada Pinkett Smith’s ‘entanglement’
When talking about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage and relationship woes, it's hard not to mention singer August Alsina.
In a 2020 YouTube interview with Angela Lee, the “No Love” musician said he was previously in a romantic relationship with Pinkett Smith.
The pair met through Pinkett Smith's son Jaden in 2015. But before Alsina and Pinkett Smith became friends, he said he spoke with Smith first.
“He gave me his blessing," Alsina claimed.
After his comments made headlines, Pinkett Smith invited Alsina on “Red Table Talk” to talk about their "entanglement."
During the episode, Pinkett Smith revealed that she had been in a relationship with Alsina when she and her hubby were separated.
In a preview clip that aired Oct. 11, ahead of the Oct. 13 NBC News prime-time special with Hoda Kotb, the "Set It Off" actor shared more details about her personal life, including that her and Smith have been separated since 2016.
Read on to learn more about the man behind Pinkett Smith's “entanglement.”
August Alsina takes care of his nieces
In 2018, Alsina took to Instagram to reveal his good friend and "biggest supporter" Chandra, who was the mother of his three nieces, had died on Christmas night after a battle with cancer.
"I am Utterly devastated & Deeply shattered! Not only for myself, but for my 3 little nieces, whom are now robbed of BOTH parents," he said.
In the post, Alsina noted that he was going to take care of his nieces, who are the children of his late brother Melvin LaBranch III.
"Lord knows I’m still raising myself but I guess it’s officially official...I’m a DAD now & I have 3daughters, & i don’t know the slightest thing about it or where to start but unfortunately I/we know loss too well. Rest In Peace my dearest sweet sister..You made it out of this hell hole. ??," he said.
Alsina also talked about his life as a caretaker in a 2020 interview with People. The "Song Cry" singer recalled the heartbreaking moment his Chandra asked him to take custody of his nieces.
“It was to the point of delusion,” he said. “I was just like, ‘No way, ain’t no way that’s going to happen.’ I remember my sister asking me, ‘Would you take custody?’ I’m like, ‘Of course I will. But there’s no way you’re going to die.’”
“As she was making plans to leave this Earth, she texted me, ‘All this time you’ve been running from being a parent, from having kids, and now you’re forced to,’” he continued. “I’m like, ‘I just play the cards that life deals me, and I’ll figure everything out.’ She said, ‘You always do.’ And she went to sleep and that was that.”
August Alsina has worked with a number of big artists
In 2013, Alsina rose to fame when he released his breakthrough single "I Luv This S---."
The song was so popular that many artists rushed to work with him, including Nicki Minaj, who collaborated with him on their 2014 love song, "No Love (Remix)."
Then, in 2016, the "Super Bass" rapper worked with Alsina again on DJ Khaled's "Do You Mind," a love ballad that also featured Chris Brown, Jeremih, Future and Rick Ross on the track.
August Alsina was almost going to retire from music
In 2021, Alsina announced that he was going to retire from music in an Instagram post he shared online.
"These last couple projects are likely to be the last you see/hear of August Alsina," he wrote. "W/ that said, it is my hope that we can enjoy each other while I’m here, on my last victory lap around the sun. ???? I’ll strive to make it as nostalgic as possible for you w/ beautiful tunes & high vibes ?? . With great love, always.?? -AA."
Despite his desire to retire, Alsina has still created and released new music throughout the years. In 2023, he released his fourth studio album, "Myself."
August Alsina has suffered from various health issues
In 2014, fans were gravely concerned when Alsina passed out on stage.
In 2018, he later revealed that he suffers from Guillain-Barré syndrome, which according to Mayo Clinic, is a "rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves."
Alsina revealed his condition during an episode of "Red Table Talk," with Jada Pinkett Smith, where she also discussed his previous addiction to Percocet.
In 2019, Alsina shared an update while in a hospital bed, revealing that his autoimmune disease was so bad that he had to be hospitalized after he woke up one day and couldn't feel his legs.
"My auto immune disease is raging, but im fighting this thing," he captioned his Instagram video in part.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
