Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals ‘Struggles With Addiction’

Jenny Depper

Jada Pinkett Smith is coming clean … about life and addiction.

The mother of two, who turned 42 on September 18, opened up in a diary-like post on her Facebook page and used her birthday milestone to reflect on her past.

"What I learned about myself is this, when I was younger I was not a good problem solver, meaning I had a very difficult time with dealing with my problems in life. I had many addictions, of several kinds, to deal with my life issues, but today, at 42, I have my wisdom, my heart and my conscience as the only tools to overcome life's inevitable obstacles. I have become a good problem solver with those tools, and I am damn proud. Thank you for all the love that was given to me for my birthday this year."

While Smith doesn't divulge exactly what her addictions were, unhealthy habits have been a constant presence in her life. As a teen, Pinkett Smith was exposed to drugs as her own mother, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, struggled with substance abuse.

On her 40th birthday, the "Hawthorne" actress reflected that it was a "surreal" experience to reach that age because she had grown up in a "drug-infested ... war zone," and she didn't think she would make it to 21.

In 2012, during Pinkett-Smith's "Red Table Talks," her mother shared about her rough upbringing. "It was a very difficult time for us," Banfield revealed, before addressing her granddaughter, Willow. "You know, Jada did not have the kind of life that you have now. I was not a good mother, in my eyes. I know that your mom believes that all experiences, good and bad, help make you the person that you are today. But I just feel like during those times, the bad times outweighed the good."

While it is safe to say that Will Smith's leading lady didn't have the best of childhoods, she seems to be in a happy, healthy place now.

On September 15, she wrote in a blog post, "I have been discovering along the way that life is all about making mistakes, and figuring out how to learn from them in order to enhance our lives."

In addition to her thoughts on life, she's also written extremely candid posts about marriage. On September 22, the "Madagascar" actress dished out a hefty helping of advice to a friend who decided to get a divorce.

"For the past five years, I have been meeting with elders who have been married for 25+ years to get understanding from many perspectives as to what marriage and love is all about."

She went on to address the idea of a split, before urging her friend to give her relationship a second chance. "Answers to big questions need time to find lasting truth vs the truth of the moment. After this process the answer may be the same, but at least you will have the clarity to go about it all with certainty and integrity, but you may also find that spark that could save and rekindle your marriage."

While the advice was for a friend, it certainly squashed rumors that her own 16-year marriage to actor Will Smith would end in a divorce. The duo, who have been the target of numerous split rumors, seems more bullet-proof than ever after one glance at Pinkett Smith's sound words on the importance of fighting for one's marriage.

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