In a world full of celebrity offspring, one person stands out thanks to her sheer creativity, talent, and quirkiness. Sure, Willow Smith is the daughter of the powerhouse couple, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, but she has stepped out on her own, whether she's writing music, tackling acting roles or modeling haute couture. Willow is a force to be reckoned with and she's still just a teenager!
Both Willow and her brother, Jaden, have been in the spotlight since birth. They've blossomed into young adults with their own voices. They use those voices to navigate the entertainment world.
Willow first made a big name for herself when she released her addictive single, Whip My Hair, at the tender age of nine. She has continued to find various ways to express herself.
Here are 20 facts about the famous mogul-in-the-making that may just surprise you!
20 She Was Born On Halloween
Talk about fun birthdays! For her 19th birthday bash, People revealed that parents, Will and Jada, pulled all the stops and threw their daughter an over-the-top, Halloween-themed party. The celebration was complete with creepy performances and an Alice in Wonderland cake.
We can only imagine how much creepier her birthdays will get from here on out!
19 She Had A Run-In With Child Protective Services
When Willow was only thirteen years old, a photo she shared with her friend, the actor Moisés Arias, became a hot topic. In the pic, Arias, who was 20 at the time, was shirtless and he was in a bed with Willow. This photo sparked a slew of negative commentary...and even a visit from child protective services.
Nothing came of it, but the incident left Willow angry, and she stated the following in a Paper interview: "I find that other celebrities, females who aren't Black, who are younger, and who do post things that are way more sexual than that, they don't get any backlash..."
18 She Just Dropped A New Song
Willow is part of a new rock band that just released a single called, Hey You. The band, called The Anxiety, is made up of Willow and Tyler Cole. It's a bit of a stretch from her hit song, Whip My Hair, but if you're up for it, check it out!
17 She's Dating Her Bandmate
Tyler Cole has been linked to Willow for a couple of years now, and the actor/musician reportedly met her through her brother, Jaden, when he hired Tyler to open for one of his shows back in 2018. They are now making beautiful music together, literally.
16 She's On A Show With Her Mother
Red Table Talk is a Web series on Facebook Watch that stars Willow, her mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her grandmother, Adrienne Canfield-Norris. The three generations of ladies talk about everything from fame to addiction to their own personal relationships. They invite special guests to appear during each episode. These ladies share so much about their lives with fans.
15 She Used To Self-Harm
During a particularly revealing episode of Red Table Talk, Willow admitted to having cut herself in an effort to deal with the stress of her sudden stardom. This happened after the release of her single, Whip My Hair, back in 2010.
Thankfully, she stopped, but her revelation shocked her mother and grandmother. They apparently had no idea that she had been self-harming.
14 She Has Multiple NAACP Image Awards
Back in 2011, a young Willow took home an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist, after the release of her hit, Whip My Hair, according to LA Times.
In 2019, she received another award, as co-host of Red Table Talk. The web series took home the award for Outstanding Host in a Talk Show News/Information (Series or Special) - Individual or Ensemble.
13 She Does Push-Ups To Battle Anxiety
We all have little rituals we do in order to keep anxious thoughts away, but Willow prefers to push them away with force! According to another excerpt from Red Table Talk, she drops to the ground and does push-ups whenever she feels frustrated or, in her words, "feels manic."
12 She Signed With Roc Nation At 10 Years Old
When Whip My Hair topped the charts, Jay-Z's Roc Nation couldn't wait to sign the young songstress. Who cares if she was only 10 years old? The girl had talent and needed to be promoted. At the time, Willow was reportedly the youngest artist to ever be signed to the label.
11 She Was Supposed To Be Annie
Back in 2014, the classic musical hit, Annie, was set for a remake, with Willow at the helm in the title role. But, as Entertainment Tonight reported, she dropped out, stating, "To be honest, something inside me was just like, 'Don't'...I'm very connected to my intuition." She was replaced by an actress named Quvenzhané Wallis.
10 She's Part Of A Collective
Willow's brother, Jaden, created MSFTS Rep, a group that, according to its website, "is a collective of individuals dedicated to raising the consciousness of humanity through art and science." Willow is part of the project and has performed as part of this collective's tours.
9 She Was A Youth Ambassador
Way back in 2009, a young Willow, alongside her brother, was named an ambassador for Project Zambi - this was a collaborative effort in partnership with the toy company, Hasbro. The effort was to help raise awareness about orphans suffering from AIDS in Africa.
A then eight-year-old Willow said, through the official website, "Even from the other side of the world, kids in Africa will know they have friends who care about them."
8 She Started A Production Company
Deadline reported back in 2017 that Willow's production company was called MSFTS Production, and that it had already cultivated a partnership with Cartel Productions to develop Menecholy, a story based on a book that Willow had pitched.
We're not sure if the project ever took off, but it's good to see Willow continuing to branch out into other avenues of creativity.
7 She Voiced The Character Of Beth On Adventure Time
The multi-talented golden child made time to lend her voice to the popular cartoon, Adventure Time. Though her character only appeared once in the series finale, Willow also opted to sing the theme song!
Apparently, it was a dream come true for her. according to AXS. She had been a fan of the beloved Cartoon Network series since 2010.
6 She Was Part Of Time's Most Influential List
In 2017, Time released its 30 Most Influential Teens List, and guess who made the cut? That's right, a seventeen-year-old Willow! She had just released a new single, was a Chanel Ambassador and had 2.6 million Instagram followers. Her Insta follower count has now grown to over 6 million.
5 She's Worth Millions
We all know that Will Smith is one of the richest actors on the planet, but Willow is not doing too bad herself for a nineteen-year-old. According to The Richest, she is reportedly worth $4 million.
How did she amass her own fortune? She makes music, acts, appears in fashion campaigns, and hosts a show with her mother.
4 Her First Role Was In I Am Legend
I Am Legend, the post-apocalyptic thriller starring Will Smith, was released in 2007. It also starred his daughter playing, that's right, his daughter! The small part was her first step into the spotlight, and she's acted onscreen since. As mentioned, she's also done voice acting.
3 She Likes Men AND Women
Red Table Talk keeps the truth nuggets coming! Willow has recently revealed, via the show, (this was picked up by Pride.com) that she loves both men and women equally and wouldn't mind a relationship with both at the same time. Not sure where she would find the time, but hey, more power to her!
2 She Models
As if she wasn't doing enough in her life, Willow has also modeled for some very high-profile clients. While doing a chronicle on her life, EW highlighted the time in her career when she signed with The Society Management (at 14!). This is an agency that also currently represents Cameron Dallas, Rita Ora, and brother, Jaden Smith.
She modeled Chanel's eyewear in 2016 and collaborated with Prada last year, for their Linea Rossa 2019 campaign.
1 She May Still Live With Her Parents
Although Page Six reported in 2017 that Jaden and Trey (Willow's older brothers) left home, she still resided in the family homestead. This makes sense since living at home makes it much easier to film Red Table Talk's episodes - of course, it also further shows how close the family is to one another.
Sources: Smarturl.it, Deadline.com, Msn.com, Graziadaily.co.uk, Msftsrep.com, Web.archive.org