Willow Smith, the daughter of actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, recently revealed why her mother allowed her to shave her head as a 12-year-old.
The 23-year-old musician encountered fame when she was just 9 following the success of her single, “Whip My Hair.”
In an interview published in Allure, Smith explained that it was a “dark time,” and she took a break from music due to the pressure.
“I was trying to run away from it in every single way that I could. People would [ask], ‘Are you Willow Smith?’ And I’d be like, ‘No.’ I would just boldface lie. I didn’t make music for years. I needed to figure out who I am.”
Smith added that her mother let her shave her head a few years later when she was just 12.
“My mother allowed me to do that because she strongly believed that being able to express myself in that way was very important,” said Smith. “And I completely agree with her because it helped me figure out who I am.”
“The energy that your hair holds through your whole life, all of your sadness and your happiness and your confusion, your hair is on you forever. And when you shave it off, you’re kind of naked. You’re kind of like, you need to be new now.”
Smith’s older brother Jaden was also given creative freedom as a child and even starred in several movies with his dad such as “After Earth” and “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Jada revealed in her book “Worthy” that Jaden was allowed to move out when he was just 15.
During a 2020 episode of her former Facebook show “Red Table Talk,” the “Matrix” star spoke about how she was shamed at the time for allowing Willow to shave her head.
“I have had my fair share of mom-shaming. With Willow, I think the first time I got hardcore criticism when you first cut your hair, there was a firestorm,” Jada said. “Looking at how my children were being affected, that’s what counts. When people are like, ‘I can’t believe you shaved Willow’s head,’ if they could have seen this child’s expression of freedom, looking at her hair falling to the ground.”
Smith revealed in a separate interview that her father hadn’t understood how severe her anxiety was when she told him she wanted to stop touring during her “I Whip My Hair” success. But after she shaved her head, he began to comprehend the severity of the situation.
“We came downstairs and she had shaved her head bald,” Will shared with fellow dad of three and rapper Jay-Z on “Footnotes of Adnis” back in 2017.
“She shaved her head bald in the middle of her ‘Whip My Hair’ tour. I was like, ‘Oh, sh-t.’ I’m looking at that girl and I’m like, ‘Got it. I understand. You will not have this trouble out of me ever again. Let’s go, baby. We can go.’”
Fans were critical of the Smith’s parenting on social media at the time as well. After one fan posted a clip of the siblings together in a Manus X Machina video from the 2016 Met Gala on X, another user shared the clip with the caption, “When are Will & Jada gonna come get their kids? They’re (sic) creative freedom needs limits lol.”
Another fan wrote, “Will and Jada’s kids really seem to have a lot of freedom for youngsters their ages. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
“Will and jada fail at parents. Too much freedom created them weird a– kids. Lmao,” echoed another.
Smith is currently working on her new album, “empathogen,” which she says is inspired by her love of jazz.
“I just grew up a little bit, and I really am starting to figure out what kind of musician I really want to be.”
Since then, Willow has grown her hair back out and chopped it off numerous times. But enjoy the way she switches up her look between low fades, braids, locs or wigs.
