On the latest episode of Red Table Talk on Facebook Watch, which is centered on parental alienation, the series hosts Jada Pinkett Smith, her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris (a.k.a. Gammy), and her Willow Smith, are joined by legendary music producer Teddy Riley to discuss the status of his relationship with his youngest son and the toll not being able to see him for three years took on him.
Parental alienation is when a parent viciously turns their child against the other parent and it’s something fans learned Riley was dealing with with the mother of his youngest son, Michael, thanks to an Instagram post the producer made on his son’s birthday back in July.
“This is probably one of the saddest days of my life. It’s my baby son‘s birthday today and I haven’t seen him in three years plus,” he captioned. “I’ve done everything that I’m supposed to do as a father financially & mentally but because this woman have process evil way, I have to deal with the corrupted government ATL system just to see my son but that will all change. Thank God I’m a AMERICAN NATIONAL citizen and my day will come to be with my son for the rest of his life and mine. I’m being patient for that day, and when it comes I shall celebrate, because he deserves to live a great life as a Prince of a King!”
Speaking with the ladies on the Red Table, Teddy explained the reason why he hasn’t been able to see his son in all that time is because “his mom’s goal is to keep him away from me.” He then went on to say that, while he shares a bond with all his sons, the bond he shared with Michael was very special.
Later, he explained that in addition to being cut off from his son, his siblings also aren’t allowed contact with him, which makes things very difficult and makes them feel like a piece of their family is missing.
“She doesn’t want him [to be] a part of any of our lives. When I talked to a friend of hers, she said, ‘You really need to try and see your son because his mom is not really handling him right and she’s really trying to keep him away from you, and you probably need to do something about it,’” Riley said.
Despite his struggles, Riley shared that he’s currently pursuing custody of his son and set up a trust for him to ensure he’ll be taken care of.
“At some point, something gotta give. And I’m just waiting for that point,” he said.
To watch the full episode, click the video above or head over to Facebook Watch.