Everything We Learned From Olivia Jade's Appearance On Red Table Talk
Olivia Jade Giannulli sat down with Jada Pinkett Smith of Red Table Talk to give her side of the story regarding the intense college admission scandal that has rocked her family. Olivia Jade's mother and father, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli falsified admission applications for Olivia Jade and her sister, Isabella "Bella" Rose Giannulli, to attend the University of Southern California, and paid $500,000 to ensure their acceptance. Both Loughlin and Giannulli are serving time in prison after reaching a plea deal, according to The Washington Post.
Amid the controversy, Olivia Jade decided to speak out and asked Pinkett Smith to host her first conversation about the scandal. Pinkett Smith accepted, publishing the aired interview on Dec. 8, 2020. Pinkett Smith hosts the show alongside her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, and her daughter, Willow Smith. Banfield-Jones expressed strong opinions before the group was joined by Olivia Jade, stating, "I just found it really ironic that she chose three Black women to reach out to for her redemption story... it's bothersome to me on so many levels. Her being here is the epitome of white privilege, to me."
Now that we've caught you up on the tense backdrop, let's recap the controversial interview.
How is Olivia Jade handling her parents' prison terms?
During the episode of Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith asked Olivia Jade how life has been while Giannulli completes his five-month sentence and Loughlin completes her two-month sentence.
Olivia Jade remarked, "It's been hard, for anybody no matter what the situation is you don't want to see your parents go to prison but also I think it's necessary for us to move on and move forward." She continued, "What happened was wrong and I think every single person in my family can look at it and be like that was messed up, that was a big mistake but I think what's so important to me is to learn from the mistake. Not to be shamed and punished and never given a second chance... I'm 21. I feel like I deserve a second chance to redeem myself to show I've grown."
Interestingly, Olivia Jade noted how she hasn't spoken to either of her parents because they're in a quarantine phase in prison due to COVID-19. While she waits for the chance to connect with them, the influencer took the opportunity to address her privilege.
Olivia Jade talks about growing up in a 'bubble'
Olivia Jade Giannulli admitted to the hosts of Red Table Talk that when the scandal first broke in 2019, she didn't understand what her family had done wrong. "When all this first happened and it became public, I remember thinking — my thoughts are completely different now — 'How are people mad about this?' I know that sounds so silly, but in the bubble that I grew up in, I didn't know so much outside of it," Olivia Jade said.
"A lot of kids in that bubble, their parents were donating to schools and doing stuff that advantaged," she added. "It's not fair and it's not right, but it was happening. And so, when this first came out, I was like, 'I don't really understand what's wrong with this.'" Olivia Jade shared what she's learned since, stating, "I didn't realize at the time that was privilege. I didn't put those two together. I was like, 'Well, this is what everybody does, and my parents worked really hard and I don't understand.' But that's not how it should be and unfortunately, that's how it was, and I'm grateful for this situation to see that... big difference in my own mind."
Olivia Jade seemed to have said the right things, but did she convince her audience? The show's hosts were all very gracious, so it's tough to tell what they thought. However, Twitter wasn't as forgiving. Buckle up!
Many viewers took Adrienne Banfield-Jones' side
Some people are furious that Jada Pinkett Smith gave Olivia Jade Giannulli a platform through her Red Table Talk show, taking the side of Pinkett Smith's mom, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, who was against the idea. Banfield-Jones, who is called "Grammy" or "Gams" on Twitter, argued, "I feel like here we are—a white woman coming to Black women for support—when we don't get the same from them. It's just, it's bothersome to me on so many levels. Her being here is the epitome of white privilege to me."
One person tweeted, "Grammy made VERY valid points. But I also see where Jada is coming from. I woulda declined, though. [Olivia Jade] reached out to them...she's an influencer. She knows the stats on RTT. It looks disingenuous." In fact, the major vote is siding with Banfield-Jones. Another person tweeted, "So I just watched the Red Table Talk with Olivia Jade and I agree with everything Jada's mom was saying. I don't understand why she thought it was ok to use a platform with 3 black women for her redemption story?" Another person added, "I agree with Adrienne on this. Olivia jade going on red table talk was crafted and manipulated. And sadly, because of her rich, white privilege, she and her parents will get a pass. Never from me. There should be consequences for sh*t behavior."
It doesn't look like things worked for Olivia Jade as she hoped. Twitter is mad, and few seem to be welcoming her back with open arms.