Will Smith Believed He Could Easily Get Away From Murdering His Father After He Made Him Feel Like a “Coward”
Legendary actor and producer Will Smith has been in the entertainment industry for decades. From being one of the prominent faces behind the impact of hip-hop in Hollywood to being nominated and earning accolades- Will Smith is an influential name in the world of entertainment.
Despite being a popular actor, and one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, Will Smith did not have a great childhood. As a child, he witnessed his father’s abusive behavior towards his mother which even propelled him to think about killing him.
Will Smith Contemplated Murdering His Own Father
Will Smith launched his memoir Will in 2021. During the promotion of his memoir, the actor appeared in an interview with the media outlet People. The Men In Black opened up on his childhood trauma and poured his heart out on his complicated relationship with his father Williard Carroll Smith Sr. The actor confessed to being scarred for years by his father’s behavior towards his mother.
According to an excerpt from Will, the actor contemplated his father’s murder to avenge his mother.
“My father was violent, but he was also at every game, play, and recital. He was an alcoholic, but he was sober at every premiere of every one of my movies. He listened to every record. He visited every studio. The same intense perfectionism that terrorized his family put food on the table every night of my life.”
Will Smith even mentioned a terrifying act carried out by his late father, that went on to change his life forever. He said-
“When I was nine years old, I watched my father punch my mother in the side of the head so hard that she collapsed. I saw her spit blood. That moment in that bedroom, probably more than any other moment in my life, has defined who I am.”
The Academy Award-winning actor feels blessed that his children are not subjected to what he has been through as a child.
Will Smith Talks About Childhood Trauma
Will Smith has mentioned that dealing with his abusive father and his father’s behavior toward his mother has affected him the most which went on to impact his life, relationships, and career. The King Richard actor mentions in his memoir-
“Within everything that I have done since then — the awards and accolades, the spotlights and attention, the characters and the laughs — there has been a subtle string of apologies to my mother for my inaction that day. For failing her in the moment. For failing to stand up to my father. For being a coward.”
He further explains in the excerpt-
“What you have come to understand as “Will Smith,” the alien-annihilating MC, the bigger-than-life movie star, is largely a construction – a carefully crafted and honed character – designed to protect myself. To hide myself from the world. To hide the coward.”
