Willow Smith’s early success as a child performer was a dream for many, but behind the spotlight, things were not as rosy.
A resurfaced clip from Will Smith’s documentary, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, has reignited conversations about the pressures Willow faced while touring as a child.
Will Smith recalled the moment Willow said she was “done,” and what happened next
Willow was only 10 years old when her single, Whip My Hair, became a global hit in 2010, reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and landing her a record deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
The following year, she joined Justin Bieber’s UK tour as an opener, but the experience quickly became too much. In the documentary, Will shared the moment his daughter tried to tell him she couldn’t continue.
“We were in Dublin, Ireland. Willow comes off stage… and she’s like, ‘I’m done, Daddy,’” he recalled.
“And I was like, ‘Yeah, baby, that was a great show!’ And she said, ‘No, I mean I’m done. I’m ready to go home.’”
Will explained that he reminded Willow of her commitments, saying they had promised Jay-Z’s team to complete the 30-day tour.
“She said, ‘No, Daddy, you promised Mr. Jay-Z.’ And I was like, ‘Sweetie, I get it, but we promised as a family.’”
Will Smith on promising Jay Z that Willow would finish her “Whip My Hair” tour only for her to shave her head and quit, showing him she was done. pic.twitter.com/f6h97cArmB
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) October 11, 2025
Will said he would never forget what came next: “She looked at me and said, ‘It doesn’t matter to you that I’m finished, Daddy?’”
Willow Smith has stated that her decision to shave her head was a way to take back some control
Will Smith admitted that although he wanted Willow to honor her commitments, he didn’t realize how serious his daughter was at the time, according to BuzzFeed.
That night, they returned to the hotel, and the next morning, Willow appeared with her head completely shaved.
“In the middle of her Whip My Hair tour, she had shaved her head bald,” Will said. “And it was like a magical moment. I was like, ‘Got it.’”
In a previous interview with The Guardian in 2022, Willow revealed that she shaved her head because she had “no control.”
“That was the part that wasn’t cool for me,” she said. “I felt so powerless. But because I was so young, I didn’t have enough experience for people to trust my opinions. So I just said, ‘I can’t do this.’”
Will and Willow have gotten a lot closer as she grew older
Last year, Willow admitted that while things were rough when she was touring with Justin Bieber, her relationship with Will Smith had become “better than ever.”
In a comment to Dazed magazine, Willow stated that she eventually realized her parents were human beings, and there are times when they do not have the answers. She also noted that she loves her parents dearly.
15 years ago, Willow Smith released the song that defined a generation ‘Whip My Hair Back and Forth’ pic.twitter.com/69LkVjatSh
— Muscular Christian (@BuffedJesus) May 15, 2025
“I think when you’re growing up, it’s natural to have that friction with your parents, and I think everyone goes through that.
“But when it really changed for me was realizing that my parents are human beings, just like me, and they’re afraid and confused, and sometimes they don’t know the answers,” Willow said.
Image credits: Getty/Kevin Winter
“I would do anything for them,” she added, highlighting that she loves her parents “to d**th.”
Willow Smith has also described the time when she shaved her head as the “dark night of her soul.” “I didn’t know how to express what I was going through,” she stated.
She also highlighted that she “never wanted anyone to think I was ungrateful” or that she “didn’t love my life.”
Will Smith’s story about Willow’s act of defiance during her tour received polarizing reactions from netizens
After the clip resurfaced online, many were impressed by Willow’s quiet act of defiance, according to BuzzFeed.
One person wrote, “Maybe it’s because I had parents who didn’t listen when I said no, but it’s powerful how she told them no. I’d rather there be more little girls like that.”
@dior Willow Smith has sunshine in her memory box #DiorSS26 #TikTokFashion ♬ original sound – Dior
Not everyone agreed, however. Some sympathized with Will Smith, suggesting he was trying to teach his daughter responsibility in the face of fame.
“Only a kid of privilege could have done this,” one netizen wrote. “There are thousands of kids who would k*ll for that opportunity.”
Netizens shared their thoughts on Will Smith’s story about Willow on social media
