People Astonished as Willow Smith Denies Being a 'Nepo

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For Willow Smith, the persistent “nepo baby” accusations feel like a tired, lazy dismissal of all the hard work she’s put into forging her own creative path. The 23-year-old multi-talented artist may come from Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, but she wants the world to know – her accomplishments are her own.

In a new interview with Allure, Willow addresses the nepotism claims head-on with her trademark candor. “At the end of the day, I’m a weird, unconventional thinker making the art I want to make,” she states matter-of-factly. “Sure, my parents are who they are. But even if you erased their success, I’d still be this individual expressing myself through my creativity.”

The term “nepo baby,” an insult flung at the offspring of famous entertainers, suggests these kids just coast on their parents’ coattails and industry connections. For Willow, it completely diminishes the years of driving herself to constantly prove the doubters wrong.

“Do opportunities come my way because of my mom and dad? Of course, that’s just reality,” she admits candidly. “But it’s also pushed me to work twice as hard so people can’t write me off as just some privileged kid handed success. These days though, I’m at the point where I truly don’t care what anyone thinks.”

That unshakable self-assurance likely comes from overcoming years of unfair prejudices and preconceptions about her based on her famous family. Despite her privileged upbringing, the young artist reveals she’s still experienced discrimination and been made to feel like an outsider because of the color of her skin.

“I’ve definitely had those moments walking into places I’ve worked a million times before, and gotten looks or comments like ‘This might not be the right place for you’ or ‘Are you sure you belong here?'” she shares. “It’s just a reminder that, yes I have certain privileges, but I’m still a Black woman in America.”

Willow first entered the entertainment world at just 7 years old in 2007, co-starring alongside her father Will in the post-apocalyptic film I Am Legend. Her debut single “Whip My Hair” dropped three years later and rocketed to platinum status. Now gearing up to release her 6th studio album Empathogen in May 2024, the genre-blending musical risk-taker remains defiantly proud of embracing her uniqueness.

“Being Black in this country doesn’t exempt you from anything, no matter what your family’s circumstances are,” Willow states emphatically. “In a lot of ways, it’s been something that lets me connect with my audience when they can see themselves reflected in me, even with my own specific reality.”

For Willow Smith, having her talents and successes credited solely to nepotism is a lazy, reductive oversimplification that dismisses all the perseverance and personal hurdles she’s overcome. She may have famous parents, but she’s more than just her lineage – she’s her own autonomous artist who has organically cultivated her own distinctive identity and creative voice. The “nepo baby” dismissal just doesn’t fly for this defiant young woman.

Source: boredpanda

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