It’s no question that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith have allowed their children more freedom of expression than some spectators have approved of. With Jaden Smith, 17, appearing in ads for the Louis Vuitton women’s line, it didn’t take long for everyone to voice their opinion.
Until now, the only person we never really heard from was Jaden’s father, Will. While on BBC Radio 1xtra, Will spoke candidly about Jaden’s modeling women’s clothing saying, “There’s a really powerful, internal quality, as an artist that as parents we encourage. You’ve gotta get out on the edge. You’ve gotta try things. You’ve gotta be comfortable doing things that people don’t agree with and you have to be comfortable doing things that you could fail.”
Will continues his answer by praising his son’s courageousness. “Jaden is 100% fearless,” says the father of three. “He will do anything. As a parent it’s scary. It’s really terrifying. But he is completely willing to live and die by his own artistic decisions and he doesn’t concern himself with what people think.”
In a nutshell, I completely agree with Will and teaching your kids not to concern themselves with what other people think. Not only does it build character, it prepares them for how cruel the world is and forces them to learn to overcome it. A lot of parents could learn from that line of thinking instead of teaching children to do whatever it takes to fit in with the crowd. I say, if Jaden and Willow aren’t hurting anyone, let them live.
In unrelated news, Will confirms Independence Day 2 is coming, and that unfortunately due to scheduling with “Concussion” and “Suicide Squad,” he was not involved in the film. He also confirms that Bad Boy 3 with Martin Lawrence is definitely happening.
Watch Will’s interview below.
