During the Oct. 27 Red Table Talk discussion about why women can be mean to each other, Willow revealed that her mother, Jada Pinkett was harder on her than she was on Jaden.
Willow recalled, for instance, the way Jada would wake them up in the morning for school and she had a much gentler approach with Jaden than she did with Willow. As a result, Willow recalled feeling hurried and frazzled about getting up and out the door, while Jaden was more relaxed because of the way Jada started off his day.
“There is a difference between how Black moms will treat their daughters and their sons,” Willow said. In recalling how they would get up in the morning, she said, “I’d be ready at the door … and he’s getting his shoes on.”
Jada agreed that Willow’s assessment was true and explained why she had a different approach with her daughter.
Join the super duo @jemelehill and @carichampion at @RedTableTalk today as we discuss how we as women can be so mean to one another, how we are pitted against one another and the pain mothers pass to their daughters. This is a deep one! STREAMING NOW!✨ pic.twitter.com/wLsSUeVZWV
— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) October 27, 2020
Jada addressed Willow’s concerns on the show and agreed that she was right. “She might have a point,” the actor said, adding, “Because I would be like, ‘No, you’ve got to be on it.’”
“We have to work harder,” Jada explained, while Willow said, “We have to work 10 times as hard.”
“But you, you’re mine,’” Jada said to Willow. “Because, for me, I knew that she’s going to have it twice as hard. I needed you to be strong because I know what this world is like for us as Black women.”
While Willow saw the difference, she did give her mom some credit, explaining, “I do be getting to work on time.”
Jada might have been tougher on her daughter, but she felt it was necessary. “So my fear for having a Black daughter — and what I felt like she needed to be in this world — put me in a position to be a little harder on her and that’s probably how we are with each other.”