Fans are jumping to the defense of Jaden and Willow Smith after a clip from this week’s episode of Red Table Talk went viral. In the clip, Willow confesses to feeling like she and her brother were shunned by other Black people due to their upbringing and at-times unusual behavior during a discussion of stereotypes and “mom shaming” with author Dr. Ramani Durvasula.
Responding to Jada’s admission that she was shamed plenty for both of her kids’ idiosyncrasies, but especially for Jaden, Willow shared her belief that “Specifically, with the African American community, I felt like me and Jaden were shunned a little bit. Like, ‘We’re not going to take pride in them because they’re too different, they’re too weird.’… Even some of our family members, I would feel they thought we’re too different.”
When Baller Alert shared a tweet linking to the clip, Fans on Twitter chimed in, recalling the wealth of articles criticizing Jaden’s choices, which included wearing a Batman suit to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s wedding, an androgynous campaign for Louis Vuitton’s womenswear, and his wealth of cryptic tweets, to say nothing of the responses to those headlines. “Remember when y’all was calling them weird and calling Jaden gay & was coming for Jada and Will’s parenting?” one user responded. “No lies told.”
Yep remember when y’all was calling them weird and calling Jaden gay & was coming for Jada and Will’s parenting? No lies told. https://t.co/SyDIiYN5fq
— internet dolI (@internetdolI) October 16, 2020
This is their truth and they’re allowed to feel that way tbh. After Willow cut off her hair and Jaden started gender bending with his appearance, people didn’t have nice things to say at all. The North remembers https://t.co/JqxBmHcGfK
— Fawn Moscato (@tinnkky) October 16, 2020
To be fair, I remember when hella folks were on this app saying they should’ve been beaten for Jaden wearing skirts and Willow cutting her hair. It was not very welcoming for them growing up. https://t.co/UbSLzP35Qe
— Simply TC (@BienSur_JeTaime) October 16, 2020
and she’s right. Jaden was doing all the fashion trends y’all praise white boys on Tik Tok for doing except y’all called him gay. Everyone regarded to them as weirdos and dragged their parents for how they raised them https://t.co/tyDQPj6lY7
— 𝐃 𝐄 𝐑 𝐀 𝐀 (@unclederaa) October 16, 2020
I will never forget when Jaden started painting his nails and changing his style and y’all called him “gay” or when Willow cut her hair and y’all sat here and disrespected Will and Jada’s parenting skills. Y’all are some hypocritical clowns. pic.twitter.com/hyMzuMly53
— TyDy4Life (@IcePrinceBrando) October 16, 2020
Like niggas was dragging Jaden for wearing a skirt am I supposed to forget that just bc every nigga reads bell hooks now???
— Fiona Applebum says block Shaun King! (@WrittenByHanna) October 16, 2020
I remember when Jaden Smith started gender bending and wearing skirts and Black Twitter was up in ARMS. Saying Will needed to beat his ass. Now everyone got amnesia.
— Optima. (@yungsenshi) October 16, 2020
nah i’m actually pissed about that willow and jaden shit bc white celebrities around their age were doing lines of coke and driving sports cars into swimming pools in ibiza but y’all were on the smith’s asses bc jaden wore a skirt and willow had a faux nose ring go fuck yourself
— john (@pantonetwoseven) October 16, 2020
Watch the latest episode of Red Table Talk above.