2020 was the year everyone pretty much hoped they will get breakthroughs — whether it was in their careers, personal lives or any other thing they held in high interest — 2020 was the year.
But 2020 had surprises of its own.
What has now been tagged as arguably the most messed up calendar year there has ever been, started with a lot less of good but rather, terrible happenings. From the fire outbreak that destroyed wildlife in Australia to the threat of a World War 3 and eventually, a little taste of the US and Iran going at it, to the crippling of economies with the widespread outbreak of the COVID-19, to the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter, Gianna, 2020 had the race for worst year ever in a tight grip. We would go on to witness more gore like strings of racially charged murders by police officers, the most prominent being George Floyd’s — which triggered an almost universal rallying for the #BlackLivesMatter campaign. Let us not even forget about strings of rape and murder cases too in Nigeria. By the first half of 2020, everyone definitely wanted 2021 to come already or hoped that the second half of 2020 will be better and no one was done up with the year than singing trio Avenue Beat with the song Lowkey FK 2020.
July was barely an hour old when we were faced with a newer challenge — dealing with August.
Okay, not the month. August Alsina.
The American crooner who came to worldwide prominence with the hit song I Luv This, during a sit-down with Angela Yee of The Breakfast Club touched an array of things — from the issues that were trending and causing unrest, to his health struggles — but one thing that had the internet in an uproar was his not-so-subtle allusion that he had a relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith, wife of famed actor Will Smith and as a matter of fact, Will Smith himself had endorsed it. He further iterated that he first came in contact with Jada through her son Jaden Smith, who was his friend.
We have seen and heard of these issues of perceived infidelity but why was this one a big deal despite it happening 4 years ago? It is a big deal because Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s marriage, has always been held in the highest of regards — whether by adoring fans, their peers or allies even. Their marriage was the gold standard and perfect example of black love, black excellence in its superiority of everything and the example of love unending in an industry (Hollywood) famed for having marriages that lasted just as long as it takes Instagram comedians in dropping skits. This marriage was the marriage other marriages aspired to be — or so they thought — hence the undying words of J. Cole “I wanted real love, that Jada and Will love…”
This was one of those things one had to respond to and Jada’s representatives wasted no time in debunking it. But the match had been lit and since everywhere pretty much was looking to implode, it looked like Australia in January all over again except this time, it was on social media.
10 days passed and Jada had a sit-down with Will Smith at her Red Table Talk, dismissing whatever she and August had as just an “entanglement”. This again, would set social media ablaze — from memes made, to people observing and pointing out that Will Smith really deserves better than the family he has. But the phrase “entanglement” was going to be milked dry like “bomboclaat”, “normalize”, “simp” among a lot of others.
Why is this going to be an unforgettable event just like the coronavirus? Many allusions had been made that a lot of marriages had been through it all and still stayed strong because they were inspired by what Will and Jada had. But with the latest revelations, people have started to even question the rock-solidness of other black marriages that have been exemplary like Beyonce and Jay-Z — except for that one time Lemonade and Becky with the good hair stint. But then, the questions pour in:
Are these marriages we idolize, as rock-solid as we had imagined?
How many Augusts are out there? How many Jadas?
What did Will Smith ever do to deserve this — as some have speculated he may or may not have had a thing with Margot Robbie, his co-star in the movies Focus and Suicide Squad.
But one thing that is very obvious is, 2020 strikes again and this time, it destroys every hope that anything beautiful lasts because if Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s marriage can be seen as this messy, then what’s the chance of other marriages lasting? So 2020, thanks but no thanks, we are tired of you and you should take a bow now — well, except you have any good in store and no, Kanye West announcing he is running for the office of the most powerful man in the world is not the good I am talking of.
