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Jada Pinkett Smith Talks Parenting Willow and Jaden, Marriage, and “Sisterhood” With Angelina Jolie

Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith opened up to Health magazine about her marriage, her parenting skills, and her "sisterhood" with Angelina Jolie.

The multi-hyphenate speaks! Jada Pinkett Smith opened up to Health magazine in its October 2014 issue about her talked-about marriage to Will Smith and their life with teenage kids Jaden and Willow.

"We're a sporty crew," the Gotham actress, 43, said of her family. "We like to do stand-up paddling, a lot of surfing. Jaden is probably the most active because he's gotten into cycling, like, eight miles a day. And he now eats like a madman, which I'm very happy about."

Related: PHOTOS: The Smith family album

Pinkett Smith and her husband came under public scrutiny for their parenting skills this past May, after a photo of their 13-year-old daughter Willow reclining in bed with 20-year-old shirtless actor, Moises Arias, made its way online. "I think we have to have more trust in our children," Pinkett reflected. "People have always gotten on us about not punishing the kids, and let me just talk to you about that for a minute. We raised three kids before Willow and Jaden, and especially on my goddaughter, I put so many boundaries on her—'No, you can't do that, you can't do this.' And everything I tried to control, every freakin' thing I was trying to avoid, happened."

Related: PHOTOS: Controversial celebrity moms

The actress called it a learning curve. "While Willow and Jaden are still with me and have a safety net, I want to give them the opportunity to make mistakes and learn how to put boundaries on themselves," she explained. "So by the time they're out of the house, they fly."

With the kids still living under their roof, Pinkett Smith said she and her megastar husband, 45, try to enjoy date nights at home. "A lot of times, we'll do it at the house because when we go out it can be a little hectic," she told the mag. "So we have different places around our yard where we like to set up a little Arabian tent, pillows, wine and cheese, candlelight. Will likes really thought-out productions."

Related: PHOTOS: Will and Jada through the years!

Outside of the Smith household, the Hawthorne alum has been working on her new TV series, in which she plays the villain, and Don't Sell Bodies, a CNN documentary about human trafficking in the U.S.

Pinkett Smith broke down crying when she was asked about the latter topic. "You know, when bad things happen to me, and all this stupid crazy stuff people want to say about us, I just think back to all these resilient young girls I have met who have not just survived this but are thriving," she said. "This kind of work will be in my life forever."

In fact, she received the support of a fellow A-lister and humanitarian to get started on the endeavor. "Angelina Jolie and I, we're not friends, but when I called her about my human trafficking endeavors, she went all in," Pinkett Smith said. "And I really appreciated that because there are not a lot of times that you can call upon people in our business and get serious help. She put me in contact with the people I needed to be in contact with, she sent me books, sent me all the information she had. I'm not saying that Angelina and I are, like, girlfriends and kicking it every day, but when you call another woman who's in a position to lend support to you and she just jumps right in there—that's sisterhood."

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