Celebrity families

Willow Smith shaved her head at 11 to make a statement to Will Smith

Will recounted what happened in a recent interview

Senior Writer

APRIL 10, 2025 4:10 PM EDTAPR 10, 2025, 4:10 PM EDT

Willow Smith has always believed in bold actions. The youngest daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith has been in the spotlight for most of her life, having experiences that few people in the world can relate to. One of them, was to go on one of the biggest tours in the world when she was only 10 years old, a moment that caused her some stress.

Willow and Jaden Smith at the "Happier Than Ever: The Destination" celebration in 2021 — Willow and Jaden Smith are the kids of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith

In Will Smith's new documentary, "Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood," the actor shared an experience he had with his daughter in 2010, shortly after the release of her hit song "Whip My Hair."

"I'll never forget, we were in Dublin, Ireland. Willow comes off stage, she was on tour with Justin Bieber," said Smith. "Hit record, 20,000 kids whipping their hair in Dublin, and she comes off stage, and is like, 'I'm done, Daddy,' and I was like, 'Yeah, baby, that was a great show!' And she was like, 'No, no, I mean I'm done! I'm ready to go home!'"

Smith told her that while he understood she was tired she had to continue with the tour, which had her scheduled for 30 dates. "She looked at me — I'll never forget the look in her eyes, and she was like, 'It doesn't matter to you that I'm finished, Daddy?'" he said.

Willow Smith was 10 years old when her single "Whip My Hair" achieved international fame

"And I was like, 'Well, yes sweetie, it matters, but you can't be finished.' And she was like, 'Oh, okay.'"

While Smith thought the story was over, Willow had yet to prove her point. She waited until her mother had left her alone with her father and shaved her hair in the middle of the tour. "And it was like a magical moment," said Smith. "I was like, 'Got it.'"

Why Willow shaved her head

Willow has shaved her head multiple times and has revealed what was going through her mind when she first did it at 11 years old.

Will Smith and his family: his wife Jada, and his kids Willow, Jaden, and Trey

"I was super young, and I had a dream, but all I really wanted to do was sing, and I didn't equate that with all the business and the stress that ended up coming with it," Willow said in an interview with PEOPLE from 2019. "I was just like, 'Whoa, this is not the life that I want.'"

She said shaving her head was "the perfect way to rebel."