Willow Smith, daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, has refuted claims that she's a 'nepo baby,' arguing that her parents aren't the 'only reason' she's successful.
With multiple creatives such as Zooey Deschanel and Maya Rudolph having come forward to reject being labeled a 'nepo baby,' Willow Smith has now entered the discussion.
Willow Smith: not a 'Nepo Baby'
The 23-year-old, full name Willow Camille Reign Smith, is a singer and actor.
She's starred in I Am Legend alongside her dad, but also flew solo for The Lorax and has since carved out a career in the music industry after releasing her first iconic track 'Whip My Hair' in 2010.
In the last interview Willow Smith said people are wrong in thinking her success is 'because of my parents'
In an interview with Allure, Willow voiced that she doesn't believe she quite fits the description of a nepo baby. The Oxford Collins Dictionary defines nepotism as "the unfair use of power to get jobs or other benefits for your family or friends."
But with Will Smith as her dad and Jada Pinkett Smith as her mom, what impact does Willow think that's had on her as a person and her success?
She tells Allure she 'truly' believes her 'spirit is a strong spirit' and even if her parents 'weren't who they were' she'd 'still be a weirdo and a crazy thinker'.
She continues: "I definitely think that a little bit of insecurity has driven me harder because people do think that the only reason I'm successful is because of my parents. That has driven me to work really hard to try to prove them wrong. But nowadays, I don't need to prove anything to anybody."
Additionally, she faced racist attitudes
On a more serious note, she also said she's still had to fight against racist attitudes in spite of her famous parents, adding: "There have been some experiences where I went into a place that I have worked in the past and my picture could even be up on the wall, and they treat me like"
‘This is a little bit out of your price range’ or ‘You don't really belong here.' Being Black in America, even with privilege, which I'm never going to deny that I have, you're still Black." She added.
On social media, many sparked discussions about Willow Smith rejecting the label of a 'Nepo baby'.
On social media, many have sparked discussions about whether Willow Smith could have made it in each industry if she didn't have famous parents
The question of whether it's fair to call Willow a nepo baby has been highly debated on social media.
Some users argue that Willow and her brother Jaden are the most respected 'nepo babies,' while others maintain that Willow is a prodigy in her own right.
One person said: It’s hard for people to understand but success is usually directly tied to opportunity.
A second wrote: Man...I swear that family is cursed. I blame Tupac. He did something to her.
While a third commented: Her success is in spite of her parents.
Another added: Yeah Willow, your so wonderful that you could just walk in off the street and be a performer! Keep dreaming kid.
