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Jada Pinkett Smith: Strip Clubs Are Part of Black Culture

The Magic Mike XXL star gets serious about her new film.

Magic Mike XXL is the kind of film that invites you to check your brain at the door and just have fun — but if you're Jada Pinkett Smith, you will drop some knowledge.
The actress, who plays an erotic club owner in the film, sees a larger message in every project she takes on and somehow managed to turn our interview about male eye candy into a serious discussion about the role of strip clubs in Black culture and — you guessed it — human trafficking.
"In the African-American community, the strip club culture is very prominent," says Smith, pointing out the sad fact that adult entertainment clubs are often an entry point to sex trafficking. "It's going to exist. It's not about eradicating strip clubs, but I thought, what a radical idea to elevate the energy and the experience of going to a strip club."
Watch our interview with Mrs. Smith below, and for something a little on the lighter side, click here to see her Magic Mike XXL co-stars Channing Tatum and Stephen 'tWitch' Boss talk about filling out those thongs and erotic dancing for thousands of extras.
Magic Mike XXL is in theaters now.

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