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Will Smith’s daughter Willow says facing the reaction to Oscars slap wasn’t as bad as her own ‘demons’

‘I see my whole family as being human, and I love and accept them for all their humanness,’ singer said

Inga Parkel
Friday 05 August 2022 18:35 BST
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Willow Smith reveals Will Smith told her he was glad she wasn't curvy so that men don't objectify her

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Willow Smith has addressed her father Will Smith’s infamous Oscar slap, saying it wasn’t as bad as her own “internal demons”.

The 21-year-old rocker recently spoke about the media firestorm that ensued after Will hit comedian Chris Rock across the face on live television when the Academy Awards presenter made a joke referencing Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.

“I see my whole family as being human, and I love and accept them for all their humanness,” Willow told Billboard in a new interview promoting her upcoming album, COPINGMECHANISM.

“Because of the position that we’re in, our humanness sometimes isn’t accepted, and we’re expected to act in a way that isn’t conducive to a healthy human life and isn’t conducive to being honest.”

The “Meet Me At Our Spot” singer further admitted that the public’s constant scrutiny of her family didn’t hinder her creativity “or rock me as much as my own internal demons”.

In a YouTube video posted in late July, Will answered fan questions regarding the March fiasco denying that his wife Pinkett Smith asked him to act on her behalf.

Elsewhere in the video, Will touched upon the reason why he didn’t apologise to Rock soon after the incident, while he was on stage receiving his first Best Actor Academy Award.

Willow Smith
Willow Smith (Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)

Read a full transcript of Will Smith’s video apology here.

COPINGMECHANISM will be released on 23 October.

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