Willow Smith is Tired of Fame & Just Wants to be a 12 Year Old

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Will Smith and his actress wife Jada Pinkett-Smith seem to have it all, but can’t seem to escape being a favorite target of the tabloids. When it comes to this couple, there are always rumors that their marriage is on the rocks, yet time and time again, they have managed to stay together and now their children Willow and Jaden are seeing firsthand the ugly side of being a celebrity. Willow probably gets criticism a lot more than her brother does, considering that she is a free spirit who seems to dress and do with her hair what she pleases. As a result, Jada and Will have been slammed and labeled as “bad parents,” but Jada recently set the record straight about why she believes it’s fine for Willow to be in control over her own body, hair and fashion choices.

Despite having the support of her parents, Willow has expressed that the criticism she gets is so bad sometimes that she wishes she wasn’t famous. And that sentiment has been made even more clear by some of her most recent music, and a track that seems very dark for a twelve year-old. But when Willow can’t even change her hairstyle without as much as getting the label of being a bratty celeb kids spiraling out of control, perhaps her irritation with fame is completely understandable.

Willow was set to take the starring role for the upcoming production “Annie,” however, Will Smith confirmed recently that she would no longer be a part of the project. And according to Will, it’s because she rather just be a 12-year-old.

At a recent event, Will spoke on Willow’s request to pull out of Annie to the audience at Real Talk with Sister Souljah and Will Smith:

“In the past 18 months, I have spent a lot of time focusing on the emotional aspect of my life and my family. In 2010, in one year, our family had the ‘Karate Kid.’ we had ‘Whip my Hair,’ we had Hawthorne, and at the end of the year, we did the Nobel Concert when Barack Obama won his Nobel Peace Prize. Don’t be clapping yet, that wears you out. The thing that had become very clear to me is the danger of a material world and focusing so hard on coming up with money or a house or a job. You focus so hard on those things, and sometimes you can lose focus on why you are doing it in the first place. The only reason to do any of that is to have love.

“Willow was supposed to be doing ‘Annie,’ we got Jay-Z to do the movie, got the studio to come in and Willow had such a difficult time on tour with ‘Whip my Hair’ and she said, ‘You know Daddy, I don’t think so’ and I said, ‘Baby, hold up! I said no,no,no, listen, you’ll be in New York with all of your friends and Beyoncé will be there. You will be singing and dancing,’ and she looked at me and said, ‘Daddy, I have a better idea, how about I just be 12.’

“I’m really learning through Willow the necessity that we have to snap ourselves back and refocus on the emotional needs of the people that we love. Someone’s emotional needs can be very very different from your dreams and what you think they should be doing and where they are supposed to be.”

We have to say, we think it’s pretty commendable that Will and Jada have the kind of relationship with their kids where they can be completely honest with one another, and opinions from all sides are respected.