Willow Smith Shares Unfiltered Thoughts About Her Childhood Frustrations
Like most people, Willow Smith didn't have a perfect childhood. Unlike most people, Willow's parents are Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, which means there's a lot more interest in her experiences as a kid than there would be for normies like us. Being Jada's daughter also gives Willow access to the Facebook Live talk show, "Red Table Talk," which is famous for hosting extremely candid conversations with celebrities and with members of the Smith family themselves.
On April 27's episode, Willow was joined at the red table by Ireland Baldwin (also a daughter of two mega-celebs, Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger) to talk about their parents, mental health, and more. Willow certainly didn't hold back when talking about her childhood frustrations, but it wasn't just about being a celebrity kid. In fact, Willow's struggles may be something that a lot more people can identify with than you may expect. It has to do with her anxiety.
Willow Smith says Jada didn't understand her anxiety
Speaking to Ireland Baldwin on "Red Table Talk," Willow Smith said that when she was a kid, nobody seemed to take her anxiety seriously. "I feel like when I was growing up I was always told I was being a brat or like, being ungrateful, or like having a fit. When in reality, I was kinda dealing with a deeper emotional issue," she said.
Later in the interview, Willow got more specific about her mom. "She didn't understand my anxiety 'cause she, growing up, had seen her friends die, like she had been through so much stuff that like my issues to her kinda felt like... smaller," Willow told Baldwin. "And that was very frustrating for me as a child. Because I was like how can you not see my internal, emotional struggle."
Don't worry about the mother-daughter bond now, though, as Willow noted that she and Jada Pinkett Smith had a bit of a heart-to-heart about the anxiety, with Jada explaining that she hadn't realized she was suffering with anxiety herself. It isn't the first time Willow has touched on feeling misunderstood in her childhood. In a 2021 interview with the Independent, she remarked, "Even my own parents tell me it's hard for them to understand my issues because my childhood was so different."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.