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Jada Pinkett Smith shares two kids with her longtime husband, Will Smith. Will also has a son, Trey Smith, from his first marriage.

After meeting on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the couple would go on to marry in 1997. They welcomed their first child together, a son named Jaden Smith, in 1998, and a daughter, Willow Smith, in 2000.

Now both 22 and 21 respectively, Jada and Will’s kids are all grown up. But back when they were still young kids, Jada opened up about her biggest fear for her children.

Jaden Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Willow Smith attend 'Hala' premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival
Jaden Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Willow Smith attend Hala premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival | George Pimentel/Getty Images

Jada Pinkett Smith didn’t want her kids to grow up like she did

In a July 2011 interview with Redbook, a then-39-year-old Jada opened up about Jaden and Willow. 12 and 10 at the time, both had already begun acting, starring in films with their father. But it wasn’t their entrance into the entertainment industry that worried Jada. It was them having a similar upbringing to hers.  

“Let me tell you what I fear most: Them growing up like I did, in a house with drugs in a war zone, where if I walked out my door I could be shot,” Jada said. “Hollywood ain’t nothing compared to that!” 

The Girls Trip star spent her childhood in Baltimore, Maryland, before eventually moving to California to pursue her own acting career. 

“Growing up in the streets of Baltimore, or the streets of Philly where Will grew up — I’d rather have my kids here,” she added. 

Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith attend the premiere of 'Concussion
Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith attend the premiere of Concussion | Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images
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And even though Jaden and Willow weren’t spending their childhoods in Baltimore or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jada still worried about their environment. 

“It still makes me nervous that they’re part of something that isn’t totally real,” she shared before adding, “But it’s up to Will and me to teach them what’s real and what’s not.” 

Jaden and Willow Smith face unique challenges as celebrity kids

During a 2020 episode of the Smith family’s Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk, Jaden and Willow opened up about being the children of celebrities. 

“You’re not a normal human if you can’t go out into the world,” Jaden said when his mom asked about him about growing up “privileged, as famous actors’ children.”

“I don’t know how things always work,” he said. “I always get nervous at the end of dinner. How do you have dinner with a group of people?”

“When I have dinner with my dad, he orders everything on the menu, and then he pays for everything, and then he leaves,” Jaden said. “So it’s like — Is that how we do? Does everyone expect me to do that?”

As for Willow, she shared a time when friends tried to take advantage of her celebrity status. Despite the challenges that come with having celebrity parents, Jaden and Willow agreed their own experiences with fame made them grateful for the time they spend at home with Will and Jada.

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