Jada Pinkett Smith on Tupac: 'Our bond was always about survival'

More than a quarter century after the tragic death of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur, Jada Pinkett Smith opens up about their complicated friendship, and their shared past of dealing drugs and struggling for survival.

Pinkett Smith, now a well-respected actress and entrepreneur, revealed in a past interview with SiriusXM's "Sway in the Morning," that when she first met Tupac, she was a drug dealer. But as she was transitioning out of that dangerous life, Shakur was unfortunately diving deeper into it.

Their friendship wasn't about romance, as often misconstrued, but rather based on mutual support and survival. "It was about survival and it's always been about survival between us, and holding each other down in ways that he and I could hold each other down," Pinkett Smith stated.

Despite her hopes, she tragically admitted that the salvation she experienced never occurred for Tupac. The heartbreaking revelation adds another layer to her public criticisms of the biopic "All Eyez On Me", which she labelled as a misinterpretation of her relationship with the late rapper.

In the light of these revelations, it’s clear that the bond between Pinkett Smith and Tupac was deeply intricate, resilient, and rooted in shared experiences that unfortunately remain relevant for many today.