5 Things To Know About Willow
The youngest child of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow is a talented singer, songwriter, and host.
As the world tries to figure out what to do with Will Smith after he assaulted Chris Rock at the Oscars (shortly before accepting his first prize), his family continues to push ahead with their own careers. This includes his youngest child, Willow, who now goes by that one name, as she dropped the Smith some time ago.
Willow is a talented singer, songwriter, and host, and even though she may only be 21, she has already released five albums – including her brand new set Coping Mechanism – dozens of singles, and earned some of the highest recognition and praise possible in the entertainment industry.
For those who don’t know much about Willow and her career (which has now been going steady for more than a decade), read on below.
She Started In The Music Industry When She Was Just 9 Years Old
Listening to the music Willow makes these days, it’s difficult to believe she’s the same person who released the anthemic “Whip My Hair” so long ago.
The youngest Smith child got her start in the music industry when she was just nine years old when she dropped the catchy kid-friendly cut, which came with a high-budget, colorful music video.
The tune bolted to No. 11 on the Hot 100 and launched her to stardom, but after a few more tracks of hers underperformed, she changed her sound and regained control over her own work.
She Launched An Acting Career Even Earlier
Three years before venturing into music, Willow officially became an actress, and she did so with a major title. Then just six years old, she appeared in the apocalyptic action film I Am Legend alongside her father.
Interestingly, she played his child, so it wasn’t a major stretch for her. While the movie went on to become a massive box-office success, she decided not to pursue acting much, and after a few small roles and some voiceovers, she largely moved on.
She’s In A Successful Band As Well
As her solo career began to take off again and she entered a second chapter, this time as a pop punk-leaning rocker, Willow also saw the band she’s a part of succeed as well.
Along with musician Tyler Cole, Willow is one-half of The Anxiety, an alternative/indie rock outfit.
The duo scored a surprising global hit in 2021 with “Meet Me at Our Spot,” featured on their album The Anxiety. The cut climbed to No. 21 on the Hot 100 in the U.S. and shot even higher in a number of other countries.
She’s An Emmy-Nominated TV Host
In addition to her work as a singer, and songwriter, Willow also finds time to host Red Table Talk with her mother Jada Pinkett Smith and grandmother Adrienne Banfield-Norris.
The talk show features the three women diving deep into a number of topics and also inviting a variety of stars onto the program for frank and revealing conversations.
The program, which is exclusive to Facebook Watch, has been nominated for several Daytime Emmys, including all three women landing an Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host nod in 2021.
While Willow didn’t come out on top, her mother did collect her first prize as a producer on the series, which was honored with the Outstanding Talk Show Informative trophy that same year.
She Identifies As Bisexual
During a 2019 epsiode of Red Table Talk, Willow admitted to her mother and grandmother that she identifies as bisexual, saying, “Personally, male and female, that’s all I need.”
She went on to share that she’s also interested in a polyamorous romantic relationship, stating, “I love men and women equally and so I would definitely want one man, one woman. I feel like I could be polyfidelitous with those two people. I’m not the kind of person that is constantly looking for new sexual experiences.”
Her family took the news well, reminding her how much they love her and they only want her to be happy.
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