On Wednesday, Facebook's "Red Table Talk," an online show hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, was shut down by the social media giant. The move follows the departure of Mina Lefevre, the former head of development and programming at Facebook, as the company shifts its focus towards virtual reality (VR) experiences.
Unofficial sources indicate that Facebook is halting the broadcast of all shows.
The Last Show on "FB Watch Original"
"Red Table Talk" was the final show on "FB Watch Original" and has already fulfilled its original order.
It will not return to air. The show's producer, Westbrook, is now searching for a new platform to host the show. Pinkett Smith co-hosted the show with her daughter Willow and mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris. Since its premiere in 2018, "Red Table Talk" has welcomed several celebrity guests such as Sandra Bullock and Demi Moore.
One of the show's most talked-about episodes featured Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith discussing her alleged affair with singer August Alsina and Smith's attack on comedian Chris Rock.
A Platform for Healing and Reconciliation
In her first episode after the much-publicized incident with Chris Rock, Pinkett Smith stated that she wanted "these two intelligent, capable men [to] have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile." She went on to say, "The state of the world today, we need them both.
And we all actually need one another more than ever." Jordyn Woods also sat down for a tell-all interview in 2019 after her kiss with Tristan Thompson made headlines. Woods, 25, at the time was best friends with Kylie Jenner, whose sister Khloé Kardashian was dating the NBA player.
During the interview, Woods said, "I should have gone home after the party. I shouldn't even have been there." "Red Table Talk" provided a platform for celebrities and public figures to share their stories and reconcile with one another.
Although the show has come to an end on Facebook, fans are hopeful that it will find a new home and continue to bring important discussions to the forefront.