Willow Smith Had This To Say About Her Parents' Oversharing
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been in the news a lot lately and not for good reasons. Over the last few years, the couple has been very open about their marriage to the world and what started as just them sharing their “truths” quickly turned into what many people considered “oversharing.”
It began with Jada’s beloved Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk where she and her co-hosts Willow Smith and Adrienne “Gammy” Banfield-Norris would discuss a wide range of topics that some would even consider taboo.
Each of them would sometimes share personal information about their lives and with Jada, she often shared intimate details about her relationship with Will. Jada and Will even addressed things together such as the actress’ “entanglement” with August Alsina back in 2020.
While they faced criticism then, that criticism has been turned up a notch thanks to Will’s memoir that he released in 2021.
With intimate details about the beginning stages of their relationship where he wrote that they had “sex multiple times a day, for four months straight,” many fans were getting tired of it and someone even started an online petition on change.org where they asked reporters to stop interviewing the couple.
However, their daughter Willow has a different perspective. In an interview with The Independent, the 21-year-old musician revealed what she thought about her parents sharing vulnerable parts about themselves.
“I feel I’ve always understood that my parents are their own people,” she said.
“A lot of kids think of their parents like… ‘Your whole identity is for me.’ [But] seeing them in this lifestyle we had, from a very young age it was clear to me they weren’t just my parents. They’re full, other people who have their own emotions.”
Willow also believes that it would be the “biggest disservice” to put up a facade when that’s not the case.
It’s not surprising that Willow would defend her parents amid their recent criticism. The Smiths are a close-knit family and always share support for one another whether it's professionally or personally.
In July 2020, Jada shaved her head and attributed it to being inspired by Willow. For the Instagram post, Jada wrote, “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go, BUT…my 50s are ’bout to be divinely lit with this shed.”
Featured image by John Parra/Getty Images for Audacy
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'Power Book II: Ghost' Star LaToya Tonodeo Talks Breakout Role And Shooting Her Shot At 50 Cent For An Audition
Actress LaToya Tonodeo demonstrated the power of speaking up as she recently recalled how she secured her breakout role in Starz's Power Book II: Ghost.
The hit show, a spinoff of the original series Power, follows the journey of college student Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) as he tries to escape his father's tainted image while running a drug operation.
In Power Book II: Ghost, Tonodeo portrays the role of Diana Tejada, the daughter of former kingpin Lorenzo Tejada and Monet Tejada, played by Mary J. Blige.
The series debuted in 2020 and became an instant hit as viewers were glued to the screen weekly due to its captivating storylines. Power Book II: Ghost is currently in its third season and has been renewed for a fourth.
Although Tonodeo has been a part of the entertainment industry for over a decade by appearing in various television shows and films, the 26-year-old's star shined a lot brighter after landing a role in Power Book II: Ghost.
In an IG Live with xoNecole, Tonodeo opened up about how her dream opportunity came to fruition and the rumor that she boldly asked Power's executive producer, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, to participate in one of his projects.
LaToya On Previously Working With 50 Cent
In last month's discussion, Tonodeo revealed that before landing Power Book II: Ghost, she was already working alongside Jackson for his Sony/Crackle series The Oath.
In the show, the actress played the character Tara Byrd. Tonodeo shared that as the red carpet premiere for the first season of The Oath occurred in 2018, she missed her opportunity to connect with Jackson because she was working on another project. But as fate would have it, The Oath was renewed for a second season.
In 2019, as Tonodeo reprised her role in the show and attended the red carpet premiere for the second season, she briefly chatted with Jackson, who at the time acquired the rights to the BMF story.
"Well, what's crazy [is] I was already on a 50 Cent show. So at that premiere, it's called The Oath. It was the season two premiere of The Oath on Sony/ Crackle, and he was there," she said. "Season one, there was a premiere, and 50 Cent attended. I wasn't there because I was doing The Fosters, and I'm like, 'man.' When I got to go to the season two premiere, I saw him, and it was around the time when he got the rights for the BMF story."
The Bold Move That Helped 'Powerbook' Star LaToya Tonodeo Land the Role
LaToya On Asking 50 Cent To Audition For a Role And Landing 'Power Book II: Ghost'
Tonodeo explained that during her conversation with Jackson, she congratulated the mogul on obtaining the rights to the BMF story and expressed her interest in wanting to be a part of the project.
Tonodeo added that although she is unclear if Jackson remembered their encounter or "if it meant anything," when a Power Book II: Ghost role came along, she auditioned and landed the job.
"I was like, 'Oh my God, like I want to be a part of it.' But I don't know why I did it. I just walked over there, and I was like, 'Hey, congratulations on getting the rights. I would love to audition.' I don't know why I did that. I don't even know if it meant anything or if he remembers or not. I do know that I did my thing in the audition, so yeah, we are here now," she stated.
Either way, with that story, Tonodeo has displayed the perfect example of "closed mouths don't get fed."
Power Book II: Ghost is now streaming on Starz.
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Feature image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for STARZ
