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

BY Erika Marie 3.7K 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
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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