Will Smith Defends Controversial Parenting Style And Reveals ‘Ultimate Failure’

Facebook recently cancelled Jada Pinkett Smith’s talk show, Red Table Talk. But before her show ended, Jada arranged for a special Father’s Day edition of Red Table Talk. And the actress invited her husband Will Smith to reflect on parenting.

Find out what Will shared about his parenting style. And learn what he views as his ultimate failure. Get all the details below.

Will Smith – Wanted To Become A Dad At Age 6

As the father of three children, Will has gradually developed his own parenting style. And he told his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith on her Red Table Talk series about his views on fatherhood.

Because of his own dad, Will revealed that he wanted to become a father “from the time I was 6 years old,” according to Yahoo.

And Smith described how his father’s parenting style influenced his own. “I loved how my family was,” shared Will. “But there were massive, critical deficiencies in my father’s parenting that I wanted to correct.” For instance, the actor revealed that his father was a strict disciplinarian. And Smith also indicated that he viewed abusive behavior directed at his mother.

As a result, Will experienced a rift with his father at one point in his life. However, Smith also received some positive parenting tips from his dad. For example, Will’s father taught him to value education. And he also learned that “anything you do, you have to do it well.”

Will Smith – Reveals His ‘Ultimate Failure’

When the actor became a father at age 24, he welcomed his son, Willard Carroll “Trey” Smith III with his now ex-wife Sheree Zampino. But as he recalled the experience, Will became tearful. And he confessed to Jada that he initially thought, “I can’t do it, I’m not the guy.”

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However, just two years after Trey’s birth, Smith and Zampino split. And the actor views his divorce as the “ultimate failure” of his life. But Will got another chance at marriage when he tied the knot with Jada Pinkett. The couple co-parent their children Jaden and Willow. And Jada reflected on the public spotlight.

As a result of the couple’s acting careers, “our family has been under the public microscope for a long time. I think people didn’t understand why we both valued that idea…of the kids going to work,” Jada shared. And Will defended his controversial views on their children working. 

Jada Pinkett Smith – Believes In ‘Education Of Life’

Smith understands that outsiders may judge him for allowing their children to begin their careers so early in his life. And he admitted, “People thought that we were forcing our kids to work.” But Jada believes that the decision became “part of education of life for them in so many ways.” Will feels that their children benefited from working early in life. For instance, the actor recalled Jaden working for his role in Karate Kid.

However, Will also modified his parenting style through the years. For instance, Trey made his own decision to quit football after high school. And Jaden received a promise from his father not to push him while working on a film. Willow, in turn, made her own decisions about her music career.

And ultimately, Will feels that no definitive rules about parenting exist. “It’s more art than there is science,” summed up Smith about fatherhood. And he told Jada, “And, you know, I love what we’re painting.”

Tell us what you think. How do you feel about Will Smith calling divorce his ultimate failure? And after you share your views, check back on our site for more celebrity news.

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