Will Smith Reveals How He Reacted To Jaden Smith Asking To Be Emancipated

Will Smith is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. He has had a long career covering all kinds of genres and roles. The dynamic and globally recognized star is now giving us an insight to his life through his memoir “Will”

Will and Jaden costarred in the 2013 post apocalyptic action movie. The movie made only $60 million in the United States off a $130 million budget and scoring a low rating of 11% on Rotten Tomatoes. After Earth was panned by film critics and audiences. This took a toll on Jaden who was 15 years old. Jaden’s mom, Jada Pinkett Smith, also co-produced the film.

In yet another excerpt from his new memoir Will, which is published in this week’s issue of People magazine, Will Smith recalled the struggles his son Jaden experienced after their 2013 film didn’t do as well as it was expected to do.

We never discussed it, but I know he felt betrayed. He felt misled, and he lost his trust in my leadership…. Jaden had faithfully done everything that I’d instructed him to do, and I had coached him into the worst public mauling he’d ever experienced.

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Jaden’s role was met with scathing reviews and negative criticism. A distraught Jaden asked to be legally separated from his parents following the “abysmal” failure of their collaborative movie.

Will goes on to describe the lack of trust that Jaden had in him as Jaden did everything his father asked him to do but was still meet with failure. “it sucks to feel like you’ve hurt your kids.” the actor recalled.

He felt misled, and he lost his trust in my leadership. At fifteen years old, when Jaden asked about being an emancipated minor, my heart shattered. He ultimately decided against it, but it sucks to feel like you’ve hurt your kids.

The talk about Jaden’s Emancipation flew around in 2013. Both Will and Jaden shut the whole thing down, describing the reference to possible emancipation as a “joke” during a joint appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Will’s new book, Will, comes out on November 9th.