Ever since Vulture published a viral article in December 2022 titled "How Baby Nepo Was Born," celebrities with famous parents have felt the need to address their backgrounds. Everyone from Hailey Bieber to Jamie Lee Curtis has had their say on their status, but the discussion continues.
Willow Smith was interviewed for the cover of Allure, published on May 2. When talking about her experience as the daughter of two of Hollywood's biggest stars, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, she admitted she has a lot of privilege. Although the brand gave her motivation, she didn't feel it was the right fit for her.
Say No to Nepo Baby Tags
"I do think a little bit of insecurity made me work harder because people did think the only reason I was successful was because of my parents," Smith tells Allure . "That motivated me to work very hard to try to prove them wrong."
She noted that she "doesn't have to prove it to anyone right now" and feels she would be where she is without her famous parents. "I firmly believe that I am mentally strong and even though my parents are no longer the same, I am still a weirdo and a crazy thinker," she said.
Another point Smith makes is that there are levels of privilege. As an African American woman, she has had experiences with people making negative assumptions about her or treating her poorly because of her race. “We all know that [privilege] doesn’t exempt you from anything,” Smith said.
Growing up in the spotlight
Smith also discussed some of the downsides of growing up as the child of a celebrity and becoming famous too early. “There was a time when innocence was really, really dark,” she said. "I tried to escape it in every possible way."
In an episode of Red Table Talk released in April 2022, Smith and Ireland Baldwin talked about the negative impact starting work at a young age had on them. Both shared experiences with anxiety and body image issues. For Smith, it's difficult because most people don't understand what she's going through, including her mom.
"It was hard. I feel like she didn't understand my anxiety when I was growing up," she said, later adding, "It was very frustrating for me as a kid because I was like, 'How do you Can you see my inner and emotional struggles?”
