Who is Adrienne Banfield's husband Rodney Norris? A look at Jada Pinkett Smith's mother and her four marriages
Talk show host and nurse Adrienne Banfield recently gave a word of wisdom to social media star Olivia Jade Giannulli on her show ‘Red Table Talk’ held on December 8. Olivia was there at the show to discuss her family’s involvement in the 2019 college admissions scandal for which her parents, actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, have been serving punishment.
While the 21-year-old influencer acknowledged her parent's wrongdoing, in her chat with actress Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield Norris, Adrienne was not very happy with her responses. Adrienne made Olivia realize her white privilege breaking in between Olivia’s well-polished and prepared damage-control responses during the episode.
"I think for me, it's like, there is so much violent dehumanization that the Black community has to go through on a daily basis. Right? There is so much devastation particularly this year, 2020, with the pandemic and everything being brought to the table, just how there's so much inequality and inequity that when you come to the table with something like this, it's like, 'Child, please!'" said Adrienne.
Those who are unversed with Adrienne, Jada Pinkett Smith’s mother and fellow host of 'Red Table Talk', she is the “voice of reason you’re seeking”, according to a New York Times feature.
In 2019, when ‘Red Table Talk’ dealt with the subject of polyamory. Adrienne, one of the hosts, said that she thought polyamory was just an excuse to have sexual relations with more than one person. “I’m listening to you guys and I’m trying to stay open-minded,” she said. “But my gut tells me this is a bunch of freckle nackle.”
However, by the end of the episode, Adrienne had a better understanding of why many people may enter into a relationship. It is exactly this kind of affable nature and openness due to which Adrienne is called "Gammy" that refers to a “lighthearted and fun,” personality.
Adrienne showed her openness to understand polyamory — which is the “practice of, or desire for, intimate relationships with more than one partner, with the informed consent of all partners involved”, it is worth noting about her own marital life where she is currently married to Rodney Norris.
Who is Rodney Norris?
Adrienne has had four marriages. She is currently married to her fourth husband Rodney Norris. While not much is known about the couple’s love story, what can be seen from Adrienne’s Instagram posts is that she never hides to gush at her four-year-long marriage with Rodney.
In a post, the 66-year-old fitness freak posted a picture on her fourth wedding anniversary with Rodney on August 22. The adorable picture shows the couple closely standing together and posing for the camera. Adrienne wore a white blazer with blue jeans and a snazzy blond pixie-cut as she placed one of her hands on her loving husband. Rodney on the other hand rocked a black short-sleeved shirt with gray pants.
The post was captioned, “Anniversary vibes. 4 and happily counting” alluding to many more cherishable years to come.
Adrienne could not stop posing adorably with Rodney. In another Instagram post, she wished all a “happy gratitude day”. In that November 27 post, she is seen giving a side hug to her husband as the couple wishes everyone, twinning in black outfits.
Rodney, over the course of his relationship with his wife Adrienne, has stood as a rock-solid support system with her. In one of Adrienne’s October 1 Instagram posts, the star mom revealed how Rodney gave her strength once when she was feeling guilty in life. "You did a bad thing, you're not a bad person", she said.
It is not clear in what context Rodney said so but his wife assuredly is thankful to her husband in her difficult times. She captioned her post as, “Thank you Rodney for this beautiful reminder. You can catch the full breakdown with @brenebrown on Same vs Guilt from the link in my bio.”
In 2019, Rodney suffered from a mild heart attack after a skydiving stint with son-in-law and A list actor Will Smith in Dubai. Later, Smith said his father-in-law is "fine."
Adrienne Banfield's past 3 marriages
Adrienne had walked down the aisle four times. She first married daughter Pinkett’s father Robsol Pinkett Jr, a building contractor, when she was 17. She then married lawyer Warren Brown at 27 in a quick ceremony at a local courthouse. Later, she wed telecommunications executive Paul Jones at 44 in a traditional ceremony at Oakland Manor, a mansion three miles from their Columbia home.
The reason for her split with all three husbands is not known. However, what is known is that Adrienne struggled with drugs and had an addiction to heroin. It is not clear if drugs were the reason that led to her past separations with her husbands.
However, for the past three decades, Adrienne has been sober in recovery. “Part of her recovery includes fitness and staying active, which she describes as part of her ‘get better plan’. The gym has helped her not only with sobriety (she also abstains from alcohol) but with codependency as well”, New York Times reports on her recovery.
“I think there is so much stigma attached to addiction, and people have in their mind’s eye about what they think that person looks like, where they came from, who that person is,” Adrienne said on coping and winning over addiction. “You have no idea.” Currently, she is living in Baltimore and Los Angeles, where she recently bought a home with her husband.