It’s Sad That Jaden Smith Wanted Emancipation From Will Smith After He Changed Keke Palmer’s Mind When She Wanted to Do the Same | HO

Keke Palmer revealed that Will Smith helped her to decide against emancipation, but it makes the similar situation with his son sadder

It was heart-shattering for Will Smith when his son Jaden Smith asked to be emancipated from his parents at the age of 15. Keke Palmer’s latest revelation about how Smith helped her decide against moving for emancipation makes the whole situation with Smith and his son sadder. Palmer shared that she was so pressured by her newfound role as her family’s breadwinner that she considered the legal step.

Keke Palmer in a still from Nope | Credits: Universal Pictures

Palmer had earlier revealed her parent’s annual income was just $40,000 when she was making the same on each show. However, she shared that she understood the sacrifices her parents made for her and added that the money she made belonged to her parents as well.

Will Smith Adviced Keke Palmer Against One Thing That Jaden Smith Considered Doing Years Later

Will Smith in Bad Boys for Life | Credits: Columbia Pictures

During her appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Keke Palmer shared that she was happy to provide financially to her family. She shared that her dad gave up his pension so that she could get her opportunities and her mother gave up everything to travel with her for her projects. However, as a teen, she was burdened by the pressure to provide financially for her family.

Speaking about the reality of becoming a “parentalized child” on the Toast podcast, she shared that she had problems with her parents. She shared that they couldn’t often understand the pain she was going through at the time. She shared that they did a good job of trying to help her process her pain, however, she considered legally separating from them when she was 17.

She contacted her attorney who advised against doing it. He told Palmer that there were “other ways to deal” with the problem and that they needed to go to therapy. She shared that she received a call a few weeks later when she was on the set of True Jackson, VP. Palmer did not attend the call but shared that the caller sent a voicemail and it was surprisingly Will Smith on the other end.

He shared that he had talked to her lawyer and wanted her to know that things would be hard to deal with when you become the breadwinner of the family. He told her to stay focused and keep loving her family. Palmer shared Smith’s words to her during the podcast:

‘I just want to let you know that I talked [to your lawyer]. He let me know everything you’re going through, and I want you to know sometimes it’s hard being the first, but you’ll get through. Just keep staying focused, love on your family, and y’all gonna be good.’

While Palmer revealed that Smith’s advice to her partly helped her to decide against emancipation, the Seven Pounds actor was not lucky enough with his own kid. Smith wrote in his 2021 memoir about the time when Jaden Smith had spoken to him about legal emancipation.

Jaden Smith Considered Emancipation from Will Smith After Their Disastrous Movie Together

Jaden Smith and Will Smith in a still from After Earth | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Will Smith and Jaden Smith appeared together in the 2012 film, After Earth. The film was a huge disappointment and failed miserably at the box office. The film even strained the father-son relationship between them. Will Smith wrote in his 2021 memoir, Will, that Jaden became the victim of brutal criticism after the film’s release.

He shared that Jaden had followed his instructions in the film, adding that he had coached him to failure. He shared that his son lost trust in his leadership and asked to be emancipated from him. Smith was heartbroken that he had hurt his son. Eventually, Jaden Smith decided against emancipation. Smith wrote in his memoir (via People):

After Earth was an abysmal box office and critical failure. And what was worse was that Jaden took the hit. Fans and the press were absolutely vicious; they said and printed things about Jaden that I refuse to repeat. Jaden had faithfully done everything that I’d instructed him to do, and I had coached him into the worst public mauling he’d ever experienced.

We never discussed it, but I know he felt betrayed. He felt misled, and he lost his trust in my leadership. At fifteen years old, when Jaden asked about being an emancipated minor, my heart shattered. He ultimately decided against it, but it sucks to feel like you’ve hurt your kids

While Will Smith’s choices regarding parenting his children have often come under scrutiny, his advice to Keke Palmer was a truly heartwarming one. Palmer shared that her parents made sure that she had great people around her like her attorney and Smith.