On Wednesday, Janelle Monáe Shares her hidden struggles of being Nonbinary on the newest season of the Red Table Talk. Season 5, Episode 1 gave viewers an insight on the singers process of coming out were Monaé described as very personal.
The 30 minute and 40 second Facebook video went viral with over 2.6 Million views and 20.9K likes as Janelle Monáe makes her way to the red table with Jada Pinkett, her mom & daughter Willow smith .Willow Smith did not hesitate to dive right in to get to know the Kansas singer a little better.
“I want to talk about the journey of your sexuality and you realizing this is who I want to be."
According to Rolling Stone in 2018, the 36-year-old previously came out as pansexual (attracted to all people regardless of their sex or gender). Then in 2020, she hinted to her identity by retweeting a meme with hashtag #IAmNonbinary before telling Variety that she was "exploring."
Now in 2022, the singer sees everything that she is.
“I’m nonbinary, so I just don’t see myself as a woman, solely. I feel all of my energy. I feel like God is so much bigger than the 'he' or the 'she…And if I am from God, I am everything. But I will always, always stand with women. I will always stand with Black women. But I just see everything that I am. Beyond the binary."
Monae now uses both she/her and they/them pronouns.
With such a quick response Willow Smith was curious of the lack of hesitation from the fashion icon, LGBTQIA+ superhero. “What got you all ready to come out publicly.”
Believe it or not the Grammy-nominated singer songwriter, actor's new book, “The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer" actually inspired her to come out.
"It took me some time…I needed to talk to my dad. My sister knew already because I’ve been in polyamorous relationships…. But I knew that I couldn’t be Little Pumpkin. I couldn’t be little Janelle."
Despite the unapologetic singer that we all know and love, Monáe admits that she hasn’t always been so confident. In the end, The actress overcame fears of abandonment and healed from traumatizing moment’s of her father’s drug addiction.
“I’ve been doing a lot of healing.”
The singer took a leap of faith and starting working on her inner child wounds. Starting with her father.
"He had gotten on crack cocaine and that changed his life, that changed our relationship. Now he’s completely sober, he’s doing incredible, he’s like my best friend. But this was when he was sick at this time…I was dealing with real rejection abandonment issues. 'What if people leave me?' was a direct correlation to my dad. And always feeling like if I wasn’t perfect, will they leave me? Or if I … I don’t want to feel the pain of anybody leaving me."
Before the Red Table talk episode ended, Monáe brings in a special guest herself who happens to be her mother. Jada Pinkett joined the conversation and asked, “specifically around her sexuality” if it was difficult for her as a mother when Monáe was finding herself.
"She talked to me before she came out [publicly] …I was very understanding. When people are an adult who make their own money, what can you say to them. I am very proud of her. I love her unconditionally. Nobody will take that away from us.”
The warm embrace with her mother sealed the deal for the table talk viewers with over 2.9K comments. This moment inspired others to reconnect with their families.