Willow Smith Had To "Forgive" Jada Pinkett Smith For Dismissing Her Anxiety

BYErika Marie3.9K Views
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Willow called it "frustrating" that her mother didn't take her mental health concerns seriously as a child.

The Smiths have been taking some heavy hits in the press and from the public in recent months, but they've pressed forward. Amid the Academy Awards slapping scandal that rocked Hollywood, Red Table Talk's latest season is among us. It doesn't look as if we will be receiving an in-depth conversation from the family about Will Smith hitting Chris Rock during the Oscars, but Willow Smith has sat down with Ireland Baldwin, daughter of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, about struggling with anxiety in her youth.

Baldwin and Smith sat down for a one-on-one as they discussed the plights of being the children of superstars while struggling with mental health. Smith admitted that she had to learn how to "forgive" her mother Jada Pinkett Smith for dismissing her anxiety and not taking her seriously.

Emma McIntyre / Staff / Getty Images

“Whew. It was rough,” said Smith. “I feel like when I was growing up, she didn’t understand my anxiety. Cause she, growing up, had seen her friends die. She had been through so much stuff that my issues to her kind of felt, like..." Baldwin interrupted her to say, "Smaller."

Smith added, “And that was very frustrating for me as a child, because I was like, ‘How can you not see my internal and emotional struggle?’" However, they have since spoken openly about this topic.

“But really recently, we had a talk, and she was like, ‘I never knew that I actually experience anxiety,’” said Smith. “And she was pushing it down and pushing it down for so many years, like, she had no idea. So, I kind of had to forgive her a little bit for being like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it, but it’s really not that bad.’”

Watch the episode of Red Table Talk below. 


About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.
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