Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table Talk has become a safe space for black celebrities in hot water, like Snoop Dogg

BuzzFeed News

An appearance on Smith's Facebook Watch show has "become damage control for black celebs entangled in drama, which makes sense considering the dearth of outlets that provide an appropriate venue for these figures to speak their mind," says Michael Blackmon. The problem, he says, is that Smith's show doesn't really hold its guests accountable for their actions as they are atoning. "Smith has created a place where black public figures can voice their opinions without fear of retaliation from, say, a seasoned journalist who’d likely ask tougher questions," says Blackmon. "From Jordyn Woods’ alleged indiscretion with NBA player Tristan Thompson to T.I.’s disturbing comments about his daughter’s hymen to Snoop Dogg’s recent vitriol toward Gayle King, black celebs have clearly caught on to the fact that they'll be warmly welcomed to say their piece on Smith's show. Smith’s considered approach has made her the first stop on any given black celeb’s image rehabilitation tour — Woods, T.I., and Snoop exclusively talked to her first about their unfavorable press. It’s also given back power to the embattled subject in a way that magazines and late-night shows rarely do. And viewers have taken notice — they actually tune in to watch. But the tension now lies in whether Smith can create a space where black celebrities can come to a genuine understanding of their public missteps or whether her show has just become a venue for black celebs to be coddled without any real accountability."