Willow Smith rejects the nepo baby label.
When you think of America’s most famous acting dynasties, you might think of the Barrymores, perhaps the Baldwins, the Fondas, the Sheens… But another famous bunch you probably can’t help but think of is the Smiths. That would be Jada Pinkett and Will Smith and their celeb kiddos Jaden and Willow. Something all these families have in common?? Kids being born into stardom! But Willow says her case is different.
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During an interview with Allure published on Thursday, the Wait a Minute! singer opened up about the dreaded “nepo baby” title commonly pinned onto celeb kids who also become stars. Here’s why she thinks her “spirit” and “insecurity” distinguishes her from the rest of the bunch:
“I truly believe that my spirit is a strong spirit and that, even if my parents weren’t who they were, I would still be a weirdo and a crazy thinker. I definitely think that a little bit of insecurity has driven me harder because people do think that the only reason I’m successful is because of my parents.”
She continued:
“That has driven me to work really hard to try to prove them wrong. But nowadays, I don’t need to prove s**t to anybody.”
But insecurity isn’t the only thing she feels contributed to her determination to succeed… She’s also had to battle racism throughout her entire artistic journey:
“There have been some experiences where I went into a place that I have worked in the past and my picture could even be up on the wall, and they treat me like, ‘This is a little bit out of your price range’ or ‘You don’t really belong here.’”
That’s so messed up! Don’t they know who her parents are??
In all seriousness, it’s so gross racism is still so prevalent — yes, even in liberal Hollywood. Willow proved her star quality to the world with her chart-topping hit Whip My Hair before she was even a teen! But she says her race made her rise to fame more difficult than that of others:
“Being Black in America, even with privilege, which I’m never going to deny that I have, you’re still Black. And I love being Black. People would look at me and [say], ‘Okay, well, her parents are this and this and that, but she still is like me. She still has brown skin.’ And we all know that that doesn’t exempt you from anything, and that’s a place of connection.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the Meet Me At Our Spot singer reflected on some of the self-deprecating thoughts she falls victim to… You know, the “Will I ever be good enough?” and “People only like me because of my parents” kind of thoughts. But on that, she noted:
“That’s just because I’m reflecting the fears and the things that people have said to me, not necessarily my own thoughts. I’m wrongly internalizing the negativity from the outside.”
Plenty of nepo babies prove their talent on their own, with some even surpassing the fame of their parents. Jamie Lee Curtis, George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow… Will Willow join that club? Or will she forever be thought of as Will Smith’s kid?
What are your thoughts, Perezcious readers? Do you view Willow as a traditional nepo baby? Do you see how her case is different from others? Let us know down in the comments.
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