Jaden Smith asked to be emancipated at only 15 years old. The musician’s father, Will Smith, opened up about the events leading up to Jaden’s shocking request in his memoir, “Will.” The father explained that tensions were raised after the failure of his film “After Earth,” which received horrible reviews after its 2013 release. According to Will’s book, Jaden received a lot of backlash for his acting in the movie. Will had instructed Jaden’s performance, so the teen became upset with his father after he began to receive criticism. “We never discussed it, but I know he felt betrayed,” the “Men In Black” star wrote (via People). “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.”
Jaden’s mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, was also saddened to hear that her son wanted to leave home at such a young age. She spoke about the difficult time in the family’s life during an episode of her “Red Table Talk” series. The mom shared: “At 15 years old, Jaden, and I remember this day specifically, it’s probably one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life, you got to a point where you told me straight up, you were like, ‘Mom, I have to leave here to live my life.'” Luckily for Will and Jada, Jaden ultimately decided not to move forward with emancipation.
