Jada Pinkett Smith is starring in Girls Trip, along with Queen Latifah and Regina Hall. It’s out on July 21st and is a raunchy women’s comedy about a group of old friends going to New Orleans and getting wild. It looks predictable but at least we’re getting more comedies featuring and aimed at women. She has a new interview with Haute Living and when I skimmed it I didn’t think it was that interesting as it sounded like stuff we’ve already heard from Jada, that women need to stick together and that we need to support our friends. Then I read US Magazine’s story that Jada and Will Smith’s two children: Willow, 16, and Jaden, 18, had moved out of the mansion and raised my eyebrows. It sounds just like something Will and Jada would do, but that’s not quite what she said. She said that Willow and Jaden are away working, which would sound plausible if After Earth didn’t exist. How is Jaden still getting acting jobs? (Why am I asking? His dad is Will Smith.) Here’s more of her interview.
On female friends
“[Girls Trip] shows that when shit hits the fan, you’ve got your girls there that have your back and how important that is in life. You need to have women that understand your challenges and obstacles and can simply be there to support you.”On supporting other women
“We talk a lot about how society treats us and men treat us, but we don’t focus enough on how we treat each other. Rather than fighting each other and pushing each other down, we need to be promoting each other! As far as female empowerment goes, it’d be nice to pay a bit more attention to that.”On Jaden and Willow being away
“It’s funny,” she laughs, “they’re not around, but they are!” With Trey living five minutes away from Jada and Will, and the others traveling around for work, you can guarantee to find the children at the Smith home when they’re in town. When they’re not with her, she can expect a phone call from them. “I don’t even have time to miss them! Willow loves to call me every day, and even Jaden, when he’s away on set, still needs to see Will and I when he gets homesick,” she notes as the young star has been away filming Life in a Year up in Toronto.
See that’s not so bad considering whom we’re discussing. These kids have done their own thing for years and they’re a bit older now. I hope Willow has some supervision when she’s away which is doubtful, but at least she calls her mom everyday. (I call mine every couple of days but I’ve been trying to remember to call her daily.) All the other stuff – about women being there for each other, that takes time. You have to keep in touch with your old friends, not just through facebook, and take the time and effort to know what’s going on in their lives. You have to be a good listener and not just focus on your own sh-t. Vacations with friends are nice as long as they’re about three to five days long. Anything longer than that and I need a break from the person. A trip like this would make me wonder why I bothered.
#HauteLiving pic.twitter.com/WVI2s0cajN
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 14, 2017
#HauteLiving pic.twitter.com/mQ4qORDFW4
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) June 14, 2017
Photos credit: WENN.com
She’s beautiful. Life is unfair
I saw her and Will in person once, briefly, when I managed to get courtside tickets to an NBA game. She looks like a fairy queen in person. I was genuinely silenced by the impact of her. I haven’t seen many Hollywood stars in person so maybe they’re all like that, but she looks significantly prettier in person.
But you Guyses… HER MOM??!?! Her Mom IS BAAAAAAAADDDDDD BITCH BAD BAD BAD, you can tell the Smith Babies have been blessed with GENES to begin with
I saw Willow and Jayden in person and Willow is also much more striking in person than she is photographed.(I live in NY so I see a fair amount of celebrities in mundane settings).
No, they aren’t all like that. Most aren’t but come alive when they work and want to be left alone when they aren’t. But then others are like Jada and super charismatic. She looks like she glows. Then some are more attractive in person, Toni Collette comes to mind. I used to see her in the market all of the time and she is quirky and friendly and pretty.
I saw Cate Blanchett in Sydney and she is luminescent. Much tinier than i’d expected and just absolutely beautiful up close.
Will’s older son is gorgeous. He has the look for Entertainment. In regards to what she said about the kids. I’m not surprised.
I gotta admit; I would have thrived having them as parents. Better than a controlling henpecking mother.
SAME! My mom Just facetimed me to tell me she is reorganizing my kitchen drawers unsolicited Mind you a solid week after telling me ” I can’t get a new bedroom set cause mine is fine to her” ..Like… what manner of Helicopter ass mess Maam!?!?
I know right? I grew up with super strict parents. I was not allowed to do ANYTHING. I had a passion for fashion and art but settled on a “normal career”. I was told I must got to university…it was not even an option. Having parents nurture you and your real interests is amazing…this is how a child thrives. Controlling parents take note !
Sympathies on the mother issue. But I don’t feel that Will and Jada were all that nurturing. I always got the impression that they opted out of raising their own kids and spouted Scientology sh*t about children being little independent beings, blah blah blah.
Yeah, these kids are likely headed for the diletante lifestyle- fabulously wealthy model, actor, director, lifestyle coach…fill in the blank. Their money is raising their children and only time will tell if their offspring actually have more actual accomplishments than fleeting opportunities and ” serial dabbling”.
@ DysopianDance : re: “serial dabbling”.
Catchy phrase! I may borrow it. To describe myself 🙂
And I will give you one of my own – “slacker princess”. “What are you doing today, Sarah?”, “Oh, nothing. I’m just going to hang out with my dog and be a slacker princess today. Lattes on the patio, reading a book”.
It would of been so nice to read “they’re away at school” but, yeah…..no
+10000
These kids don’t need to be in school. They’re doing just fine. I’ve never heard about them being arrested for drugs, drunk drinking or anything illegal. They are close to their parents. What more could anyone ask for? Yes, daddy has money but so what….we live the life we were born to, poor or rich, and I see no point in being jealous.
Idk what being in school had to do w being “jealous” but, whatever you say
It’s not jealousy IMO. I think it’s a valid point. A family with money but education is not a priority. And why is a sixteen year old away working on her career? Most kids are way too young to be without some kind of adult supervision at that age. And it seems the Smith-Pinkett kids have been without adult supervision for years really.
They should go to college to get an education. But they’re scientologists so I know that’s not a possibility.
Sure Jada, you and Will did such a good job with your kids.
Good thing daddy has money.
What a salty comment.
I don’t know, it’s more of a true comment than a salty comment to me. Jada is lucky her kids turned out well considering that her and Will employed a wacky “raise your own damn self” philosophy. She probably shouldn’t be patting herself on the back so much as thanking her lucky stars.
My own mom looooves to pat herself on the back for the fact that my sisters and I turned out well and aren’t on drugs (of course this comes up in the context of other people being on drugs or having failure to launch and she has soooo much criticism for their parents). She fails to realize that we turned out alright in spite of her complete lack of guidance and involvement with us – she was too busy smoking weed and adhering to an all-important TV watching schedule. It pisses me off when she praises herself, and same goes for Jada here.
@Anya, I agree, my sentiments exactly!
YAAAAAAAS. This.
No DUIs or rehabs for any of them. AND Daddy has money.
They seem like a decent, close family. Kids appear quirky, cute and smart. I still don’t get the hate I’ve seen from some on this site for them.
@Lady Rain: quirky, cute and smart? We must have spent time in different parts of the internet because I find them remarkably stupid and annoying and from the fact that Jadens narcissim and presumptuousness has become a meme I infer that I am very much not alone with that opinion:
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/jaden-smith
Okay so they are all beautiful and rich. I am jealous.
I just love her as Fish on Gotham. What I never realized before is how beautiful she is. Not here to talk about her mothering skills, just the fact that she is lovely and proves a woman can be gorgeous at any age.
Love her in the show as well, she has SO much presence.
Yup, my favourite character on Gotham.
Jada is a beautiful woman, never paid much attention to her until she did the freedom project – sex trafficking in America documentry on CNN. I have lots of time for famous people that give their time, money and lend their fame/ influence & to worthy causes and few are as worthy as the trafficking of children & educate themselves in the proces.
I however have zero opinion on her as a parent. I know nothing about her kids, other than her son seems pretty ignorant and doesn’t seem to know what ricotta is.
@Keely Jada sought information and advice from Angelina Jolie. Jada said Angelina took the time to give her information and advice on the subject. Jada was very appreciative of Angelina taking the time to help her.
There’s such a double standard when it comes to reports on this family. So much shade. I’m the last to say they’re normal or even role models but the family seems warm, positive and comfortable pushing boundaries and exploring traditional concepts of marriage, family and identity. And are we going to pretend that Dakota and Elle Fanning, Miley and Noah Cyrus, Kate and Oliver Hudson, Jenna and Barbara Bush, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Cara and Poppy Dellavigne etc etc weren’t running around as teens doing whatever they wanted to do without 24/7 parental supervision?etc etc
For me, it’s the scientology. I won’t get past that.
So while you make a point, to my knowledge those other examples are not involved in a cult. They may be warm positive, blah blah, but they actively support scientology, so a NO from me, every time.
That’s fair but is barely mentioned in the pile on. Besides, even if they are in that cult the Smiths seem oddly free to do as they please and with whomever they please without Co$ minders around. Maybe that’s the weird story here…
COME ON THROUGH WITH FACTS ERIN!!! The Commentariat would have you believe the Smith Kids are Miley Level obnoxious ( which they aren’t, let’s start with that! FULL ON- Don’t even dispute this!) and that as Black Parents why aren’t they beating these kids into quiet submission and the boxes they are supposed to be in etc etc
*praise hands*
@QQ : maybe you should lay off the caps for a while. And the exclamation points while you’re at it.
Oh sarah…live and let live.
What them being black have anything to do with their lack of education and parental guidance? As if the Kardashian/Jenners, Hadid, Cyrus kids etc were not criticized about their nepotism, lack of any real talent and education. 90% of the comments about them in this site are very critical of them. Also, there is a world between “beating your kind into submission” as you say and letting your 14 y/o kid unsupervised trying to get in a London club with Justin Bieber crew in the middle of the night.
Can have no comment about the kids, too young. Time will tell if they regret the lack of formal education. I certainly regret a lot at this point. Do not care for Jada. Am still annoyed about her striking the Oscars over Will not being nominated when he was mediocre in the role. With so many talented actresses out there, I am surprised she continues to get these big roles. Is it the Sci connection?
They seem like good people but bad parents.
I think they modeled some of their own success with and for the kids, but they seem to be backing off now as the kids are bit older. IMO, Hollywood can eat young people alive, and kids STILL need lots of guidance as young adults in that industry..
I really enjoyed Jaden in The get down, much more than I expected.
Same here! I thought he was perfect for the role.
I love them. Jada has inspired me since A Different World (as a kid from the hood not far from where she grew up at I just KNEW I was gonna attend HIllman College when I got older) I’ll complain when Willow stops advocating for women and girls through her music and social media accounts or when Jaden stops telling young people to defy stereotypes and be themselves. When I hear stories about them fighting, causing trouble (and I don’t mean complaining about cheese at a restaurant), being rude to fans etc. THEN I’ll start to question the Smith’s parenting skills. But for now… those kids are flourishing and they’re inspiring others and they seem to have kind hearts. Leave them be.
*The Claps on Claps on claps on Claps*
YES
Agree !
All a dat…all a dat!
And I’m just gonna call it now. If the Smiths, Carter and Berry kids grow up to be amazing adults it will be because they had money, naturally. Not close, involved, evolved parenting because reasons.
I loved Jada on A Different World! Her character was so pretty, smart and inspiring. I would always tell my (at the time) 10-year-old self whenever I watched the show…I’m gonna be just like Jada when I grow up and go to college someday 😂
I think 16 is too young to go off on their own to film sets. Willow seems like a good kid, but I think a parent or guardian should be on set, or at least in the same city, with child actors.
When I was 16 I went to a summer camp in Canada that gave me a lot of personal freedom. My sons worked at boy scout camps at 16. My children all move out of the home at 18, so taking off for a few months at 16 and 17 is good training. I imagine the film company has some legal obligations to provide at least rudimentary supervision. This could well be a good parenting move on the part of Jada and Will.
16 is not too young. Lots of kids at 16 get internships and are away all summer. I mean at that age, you are old enough to drive a car ALONE so…
I agree. It’s like models going to work overseas in Japan, there’s always stories of the creepy scouts or agents or assistants hitting on the girls or worse. Or working child stars like drew Barrymore being left alone to cope with stress by getting f’ed up at parties. When you’re 16 you’re still transitioning to adulthood and that kind of pressure can be tough to handle.
Jada is a Good Woman!
I can see why Tupac loved her. And why she’s still with Will. She’s just a laissez-faire kinda person and her beauty shines through. She isn’t controlling and will let you be you and support you through it. I was raised in a controlling environment and even though that’s not who I want to be, I find myself exhibiting the same characteristics and it really disappoints me and scares me off having kids.
Also, she is so beautiful!
She’s obviously into healthy eating. I love that, unlike goop, she doesn’t shove it down peoples throats.
I like all of them: the parents and the kids.
Always have had a soft spot for Jada since “Set it Off”. Her daughter is just adorable.
I don’t mind them. I don’t like the Scientology angle but I am not certain they are members. Kids are off at boarding school at that age. If they fall apart and say it was misery then I will adjust my opinion.
I LOVE this family. The kids are turning out beautifully. Jada is a BOSS, and everyone seems HAPPY.
Carry on with what you are doing, Smith Family. It’s working and it’s magical. 🙂
Underage teenagers left unsupervised in the entertainment industry are ripe prey for predators and manipulators. They are the choice pickings. Are we all here gonna pretend that it’s just fine and dandy? Are we going to pretend a whole Bryan Singer and his ilk don’t exist? Walking around pleased as punch about themselves. Take a looksie on YouTube for a documentary on him.
Idkf that her kids check in, their brains aren’t developed enough to protect them from things only a responsible parent can just by virtue of being there.
The next pedophile and pederast story that pops up in Hollywood and some of these SAME commentators will be so upset and bemoaning such a travesty but are honesty thinking the parenting in THIS environment is fine and dandy.
OK