Author Description

Do you know your worth? Who do you think deserves love? Who is allowed grace for their mistakes? Who can defy the status quo to embrace their authenticity? Is it ever you? Do you consider yourself worthy? Many of us do not, and women, as caretakers and peacekeepers, are particularly skilled a putting others in front of ourselves, leaving our needs unmet and our own dreams unheard. Jada Pinkett Smith knows this reality intimately. In Worthy, her honest, at times painful and ultimately inspiring memoir, Jada Pinkett Smith explores the lessons learned during a rollercoaster ride from the depths of suicidal depression to the heights of rediscovery and a celebration of authentic female power. Opening in 1980s Baltimore, Worthy chronicles how Jada went from the little girl of two addicts to a promising theatre student, with a violent interlude as a petty drug-dealer, a move to Los Angeles and a parallel rise to stardom alongside her closer friend Tupac, a passionate romance and complicated marriage to Will Smith and a joyful embrace of motherhood. But, as with so many women, Jada found herself in crisis - having suppressed her needs for too long, losing her identity, her agency, her power, even her hair in the process. Faced with excruciating choices - between love and loss, living and dying - Jada chose to redefine her life and set out on a spiritual path that required ultimate surrender. At the heart of this powerful book are two love stories: Jada's own journey to self-love and her unconditional love and acceptance for all who have been part of her story. Ultimately, Worthy reveals to us who Jada is, and who we can be when we're willing to let go, trust love and do the hard work of defining our worth on our own terms.