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Willow Smith has been in the Hollywood spotlight since she was a child – but she’s out to ‘prove’ the ‘nepo baby’ critics wrong. As the only daughter of Will Smith And Jada Pinkett SmithWillow, 23, sat with Seduce for a photo shoot, for which she posed in a bold red ensemble.
In an image from the cover shoot — released on Thursday, May 2, alongside her interview — Willow modeled an oversized red cutout look, consisting of a crop top and mini skirt paired with matching leggings. To complete the fiery image, Willow’s face was painted a bright red.
In another image, the “21st Century Girl” artist received a bold leopard-themed makeover, glowing with gold, blue and red accents on her face. For the cover photo, Willow’s hair was styled in a dramatic, sculptural style.
While speaking to the outlet, Willow opened up about her new album, empathogenic, as well as growing up in the spotlight as a young black woman. Although she is initially known to her famous parents, Willow acknowledges that she has “privilege” but can still connect with her fans.
“Being black in America, even with privilege – which I will never deny – you’re still black,” Willow said, before adding: “And I love being black. People looked at me and [say], ‘Okay, well, her parents are this and this and that, but she’s still like me. She still has brown skin. And we all know that doesn’t exempt you from anything, and it’s a place of connection.
As for the naysayers who called Willow a “nepo baby,” the “Whip My Hair” hitmaker admitted it was “insecurity” on her part, but stressed that she had risen through the ranks without the help of his parents.
“I truly believe that my mind is strong and that even if my parents weren’t what they were, I would still be a weirdo and a crazy thinker,” Willow explained. “I definitely think a little bit of insecurity has made me tougher because people think the only reason I’m successful is because of my parents. This made me work very hard to try to prove them wrong. But these days, I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.
Besides her famous family, Willow also noted another fear: “being seen as difficult” in show business.
“In this society, a woman who knows what she wants is always seen as ‘difficult,’” she says. “I’m not picky, I just know what I want. And I’m willing to sacrifice the freshness of the moment to try to…
