‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’: 10-Year-Old Willow Smith Said the Cryptic Advice Jaden Smith Gave Her
Fans are getting to know Willow Smith better than ever thanks to Red Table Talk. And the height of her fame may have happened when she was just a child. Her hit song, “Whip My Hair,” launched her to stardom in 2010, and it even got her a spot on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
While talking to Ellen DeGeneres, Willow explained the advice her slightly older brother, Jaden Smith, gave her. Here’s what she said.
Willow Smith appeared on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ when she was 10 years old
With Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith as her parents, Willow was destined for stardom. Her older brother, Jaden, was already getting into the movie business by starring in The Pursuit of Happyness alongside Will. And it was Willow’s turn to take the spotlight with the success of “Whip My Hair.”
Back in 2010, she appeared on stage to perform her hit song, and DeGeneres had plenty of questions and comments for the child.
“First of all, I have to say, and I’m sure everybody feels the same way — for your very first time with a microphone, on stage, and in front of people and cameras, you did amazing,” DeGeneres told Willow. And Willow then explained she was actually incredibly nervous to get up on stage and perform.
“How long you been singing?” DeGeneres asked her.
“Pretty much my whole life,” Willow said back.
“And did you want to act? Or did you want to sing?” DeGeneres asked again.
“I love acting, like it fulfills my career,” Willow added. “Singing is just so … awesome.”
Willow told Ellen DeGeneres the advice Jaden Smith gave her
After talking about “Whip My Hair,” the conversation with DeGeneres turned to Willow’s family. DeGeneres reminded the audience that Willow starred in I Am Legend with Will, and the Smiths are full of talent.
“A lot of talent going on,” DeGeneres said. “Are they strict parents, or is it all very creative in the house?”
“No, it’s very creative,” Willow explained. “If we make something and my mom and dad want to change it a little bit, they’ll be like, well, this is something that’s better. But it’s just a creative household.” She then went on to explain that she’s the one who writes her own songs, but it’s Jaden who’s great at making beats.
“Your brother makes good beats,” DeGeneres verified. “And your brother is Jaden. Has he given you good advice? Because he has experience with this.”
Willow noted the advice Jaden gave her. “He’s given me advice like, whenever you don’t feel something, just feel it.” This resulted in an uproar of audience laughter.
“Very … zen of him,” DeGeneres joked.
Willow has a complicated relationship with ‘Whip My Hair’ today
While Willow was an instant star after the success of “Whip My Hair,” she has a complicated relationship with it now. The star ended up shaving her head after feeling intense pressure from fame.
“I definitely had to forgive you and daddy for that whole ‘Whip My Hair’ thing,” Willow told Jada during an episode of 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 explained that Willow really “tested” him when she was 10, too. “She was done with ‘Whip My Hair,’” he said on Facebook. “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.”
Today, the Smiths seem to be more in harmony, and they all seem to be in harmony. We’re sure older brother Jaden is still giving Willow plenty of advice, too.
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