The discussions at “Red Table Talk” are being tabled.
The popular talk show co-hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, along with her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris and daughter Willow Smith, has been canceled by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
According to Deadline, the Mark Zuckerberg-founded social media empire is shutting down its Facebook Watch original programs. The channel also released shows starring Steve Harvey, Taraji P. Henson and Tom Brady.
Produced by Westbrook Studios, owned by Pinkett-Smith and her husband Will Smith, “Red Table Talk” has been a groundbreaking panel format show with an intergenerational perspective. Since launching in 2018, the show has produced 129 episodes and amassed more than 11 million active followers on its Facebook page.
Hitting more than 1 billion views, the online series became a pop culture touchstone and digital destination for celebrities to unload their burdens in a safe and non-judgmental environment.
With candid conversations running the full gamut of social and cultural issues, the buzzy chatfest attracted celebrities and bold-faced names such as Sandra Bullock, Queen Latifah, Matthew McConaughey, Janelle Monae and Gwyneth Paltrow. Some episodes became viral sensations — notably the emotional July 2020 chat between Will and Jada about her past “entanglement” with singer August Alsina.
Deadline reported that Meta is transitioning away from its originals to focus more on user-generated content.
Zuckerberg also announced in March that the company plans to lay off more than 10,000 employees in the coming months, adding to the social media giant’s recent wave of cuts.
Westbrook Studios is reportedly looking for a new distributor for “Red Table Talk.”
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