Lauren London Talks Gun Violence, Loss Of Nipsey Hussle & More

“As we are witnessing our Black men being murdered in the streets, very rarely do we talk about the women who are left behind, grief-stricken and shattered,” Jada Pinkett Smith said to open the latest episode of Red Table Talk.

For Wednesday's (June 3) episode, Jada invited Lauren London, whose late boyfriend Nipsey Hussle was gunned down outside his Los Angeles clothing store in March 2019, to discuss the traumas of gun violence and coping with grief and loss.

"Just growing up in L.A., in the area that I was around," Lauren said when asked about her first memory of gun violence. "In high school, a lot of the boys were in gangs, and I remember that a lot of our friends, by summertime they were gone. They had transitioned from gun violence. So, you kind of got ... I wouldn’t say numb, but used to hearing it."

"It just became unfortunately like the norm," Jada said in agreement before revealing that she too was first impacted by gun violence as a teenager.

Lauren went on to recall how she would go to parties in high school and one of the first things she would do is scout out the exit in case anything were to happen. "That's traumatizing," she said. "To be 16 years old and having to be on guard when you go into a party."

Lauren later spoke of the loss of her longtime love Nipsey, sharing that she has both her good days and bad days, like everyone else, but doesn't put pressure on herself to feel good when she doesn't.

“For me what’s been really important is connecting with God. ... It’s not easy. I don’t always wake up on the enlightened side of the bed. And the days that I don't, I let myself because I’m human," she said.

The 35-year-old actress also discussed what brings her joy amidst her grieving, saying, “I love to meet people that Nip has really inspired because it feels like he’s still here, even though he is — in a way. He’s touching people still. I find that when I run into people who tell me how he’s changed their life, what they’re doing with their life right now, it fills me up. I’m like ‘ugh he would have loved to hear that. And when my kids hear it, they’re proud.”

Photo: Getty Images


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