Jada Pinkett Smith Didn’t Allow Willow Smith to Shave All of Her Hair Off at Once: ‘Let’s Just Piecemeal It’
Willow Smith found fame early thanks to her famous parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. The starlet introduced “Whip My Hair” back in 2010, and she’s since talked about how releasing the hit negatively affected her. Willow’s talked a lot about how she wanted to shave her head after the song became famous, too.
Looking back, it seems Jada was resistant to Willow shaving her head. Here’s what Jada said about having her daughter shave her head “piecemeal” instead of letting her go for it completely.
Willow Smith had a difficult time when ‘Whip My Hair’ was released
While “Whip My Hair” was a serious success amongst fans, Willow wasn’t ready for that level of fame. Will and Jada pressed her to continue, as they knew she could be a star. And Willow’s since talked about that experience on Red Table Talk.
“I definitely had to forgive you and daddy for that whole ‘Whip My Hair’ thing,” Willow told Jada on Red Table Talk. “It was mostly daddy because he was so harsh at certain times. It was a couple of years, honestly. Trying to regain trust for not feeling like I was being listened to or like no one cared how I felt.”
Will talked about the “Whip My Hair” days, too. ” She was done with ‘Whip My Hair,’” Will said on Facebook Live. “She was done with performing, and as a protest, she shaved her head bald. That was really the first time that I realized that my family wasn’t happy with the direction that I was taking them.”
Jada Pinkett Smith didn’t want Willow to shave her entire head in one go
While Will openly admitted he didn’t want his daughter to shave her head, it seems Jada was also reluctant. While visiting The Oprah Winfrey Show back in 2010, Jada noted Willow wanted to cut all her hair off — and she wouldn’t allow her daughter to do it all in one go.
“She was like, ‘Mom, I want to cut my hair!’ And I said, ‘We’re gonna have to talk to daddy,'” Jada told Oprah Winfrey.
“They crept up on me with that,” Will added. “She was already in the chair and the barber was there. And then it was, ‘Daddy, can I get my hair cut? I was like, oh!'”
“It’s just hair,” Winfrey chimed in. “It grows back.”
Jada then added that she found a compromise with Willow. “I said, listen, let’s just piecemeal it,” she added. “But what I thought was great was that her beauty didn’t depend on her hair. What she told me was, ‘I want to be free. I just want to be free, mommy.’ So I was like, ‘OK, I can give you a piece of that freedom.'”
Willow’s continues to shave her head to feel empowered
Whether Willow keeps her hair long or short, she clearly isn’t defined by her hairstyle. And she’s continued to shave her head to feel empowered well after the “Whip My Hair” days.
More recently, Willow shaved her head in preparation for an art exhibit she performed with Tyler Cole. “Willow shaved her head for symbolic reason, she wants to leave the past behind,” a source explained to HollywoodLife. “She’s had her struggles with anxiety but she’s feeling very empowered and ready to reclaim her life. Shaving off all her hair was a way to release everything and start fresh.”
It seems Will and Jada love how strong-willed and fierce their daughter is, too. While they were reluctant to let her shave her head off in the past, they certainly wouldn’t make that mistake again. We’re glad Willow can continue being her authentic, inspirational self!
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