Will Smith opens up and gets candid about his parenting struggles in the upcoming self-titled memoir, Will. In an excerpt obtained by PEOPLE, one memory in particular that Will recalls was when his son Jaden Smith wanted to become an emancipated minor.
Back in 2013, Will and Jaden starred in a film together called, After Earth. The movie didn’t do so well and ultimately flopped. While Will wasn’t affected by the film, Jaden received numerous shots.
“‘After Earth’ was an abysmal box office and critical failure. And what was worse was that Jaden took the hit. Fans and the press were absolutely vicious; they said and printed things about Jaden that I refuse to repeat. Jaden had faithfully done everything that I’d instructed him to do, and I had coached him into the worst public mauling he’d ever experienced,” Will said.
The Philly actor says he believes that Jaden felt “betrayed” and “he lost his trust in my leadership.” Will recalls being heartbroken when Jaden asked to be emancipated. “At fifteen years old, when Jaden asked about being an emancipated minor, my heart shattered. He ultimately decided against it, but it sucks to feel like you’ve hurt your kids,” Smith said.
Will then shares the time when he had a similar moment with his daughter Willow Smith. Will is set to be inside of bookstores on November 9th.
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