unilad homepage
  • News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
'Nepo baby' Willow Smith says people are wrong in thinking her success is 'because of my parents'

Home> Celebrity> News

Published 09:38 3 May 2024 GMT+1

'Nepo baby' Willow Smith says people are wrong in thinking her success is 'because of my parents'

Willow Smith has explained the reasons why she isn't a nepo baby despite being the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

Willow Smith has hit back at claims she's a nepo baby arguing her parents aren't the 'only reason' she's successful.

With multiple creatives having come forward to reject being labelled a 'nepo baby' such as Zooey Deschanel and Maya Rudolph, Willow Smith has now entered the discussion.

The 23-year-old - full name Willow Camille Reign Smith - is a singer and actor, alongside also being the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Advert

She's starred in I Am Legend alongside her dad, but also flew from the nest solo for The Lorax and has since gone on to carve out a career in the music industry after releasing her first iconic track 'Whip My Hair' in 2010.

But would she have made it in each industry had it not been for her famous parents?

The question - and whether it's fair to call Willow a nepo baby - has been highly debated on social media.

One X user said: "Jaden and Willow Smith are the most respected nepo babies in my eyes."

However, another argued: "Yes Willow Smith is a nepo baby, but she’s STILL a prodigy, 2 things can be true at once!"

And Willow has since opened up about the labelling.

Willow Smith has a pretty famous family to say the least (Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Willow Smith has a pretty famous family to say the least (Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

In an interview with Allure, Willow voiced she doesn't believe she quite fits the description of a nepo baby.

And just so we're all clear on the exact definition of a 'nepo baby' - a.k.a. nepotism baby - the Oxford Collins Dictionary states the definition of nepotism is: "The unfair use of power in order to get jobs or other benefits for your family or friends."

But with Will Smith as her dad and Jada Pinkett Smith as her mom, what impact does Willow think that's had on her as a person and her success?

Well, she tells Allure she 'truly' believes her 'spirit is a strong spirit' and even if her parents 'weren't who they were' she'd 'still be a weirdo and a crazy thinker'.

Willow Smith at Paris Fashion Week this year (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)
Willow Smith at Paris Fashion Week this year (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

She continues: "I definitely think that a little bit of insecurity has driven me harder because people do think that the only reason I'm successful is because of my parents.

"That has driven me to work really hard to try to prove them wrong.

"But nowadays, I don't need to prove s**t to anybody."

*Mic drop*

On a more serious note, she also said she's still had to fight against racist attitudes in spite of her famous parents, adding: "There have been some experiences where I went into a place that I have worked in the past and my picture could even be up on the wall, and they treat me like, ‘This is a little bit out of your price range’ or ‘You don't really belong here.'

"Being Black in America, even with privilege, which I'm never going to deny that I have, you're still Black."

Featured Image Credit: Pierre Mouton/Getty Images for Acne, Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty

Topics: Celebrity, Social Media, Twitter, US News, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Music

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a freelance journalist with words in Daily Express, Cosmopolitan UK, LADbible, UNILAD and Tyla. She is a former Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
9 hours ago
10 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • Olivia Wong/FilmMagic
    8 hours ago

    Last name Zendaya used when signing couple's marriage certificate revealed amid wedding rumors

    The internet thinks the Euphoria star and Spider-Man actor Tom Holland are secretly married

    Celebrity
  • Araya Doheny/Getty Images
    9 hours ago

    Taylor Frankie Paul's ex Dakota Mortensen responds to her abuse claims after video is released and show is canceled

    The pilot episode of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives showed Taylor's arrest in 2023

    Celebrity
  • Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for GQ
    10 hours ago

    Olivia Rodrigo responds to rumors of ongoing feud with Sabrina Carpenter over past relationships

    Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter were involved in a love triangle

    Celebrity
  • Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
    11 hours ago

    Chuck Norris made heartbreaking final post before he died aged 86

    The actor had only just celebrated his 86th birthday

    Celebrity
  • Will Smith and Jada Pinkett's daughter Willow sparks major concern after emotional selfie with a very NSFW message
  • Will Smith sued for sexual harassment and accused of 'deliberately grooming' by America's Got Talent star
  • Jaden and Willow Smith wish some family matters remained ‘private’ following Jada Pinkett’s revelations
  • Jaden Smith says his mom Jada Pinkett Smith introduced the family to psychedelic drugs