New concerns have been raised about the nurturing of Willow Smith, the 13-year-old daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, after a picture of her lying on a bed with a 20-year-od male actor was posted on Instagram.
Willow, who has previously drawn criticism for dressing and performing songs that are not age-appropriate, is depicted lying in front of Moises Arias, who played the diminutive Rico alongside controversial singer Miley Cyrus’ Hannah Montana. His upper body is unclothed, while his lower half is obscured.
If the photograph has been staged, efforts to make the grainy monochrome image appear impromptu and voyeuristic lend it an indecorous post-coital air as the pair gaze past the camera. The Instagram was reportedly posted by Arias, before it was hurriedly removed.
Whilst the snap can be said to depict nothing untoward, Smith and Arias have also been papped out and about at Le Pain Quotidien in Calabasas, Los Angeles.
Last year, Willow resigned from the title role in a modern remake of the 1982 John Huston musical Annie, saying: “I just wanted to chill and be at home and decompress, and just find out what I wanna do and where I stand on this planet, with the little tiny place we have (…) I just feel like I want to do it different than the world’s ready for.” She was twelve!
Her folks, Will and Jada, have spoken in the past about having a more laissez-faire attitude to parenting Willow and brother Jaden than is the norm. Willow previously told an interviewer: “I never really get to go to school because I am always on tour or with my father. (…) There is a tutor most of the time, but usually I am working so I never get to do the lessons. The worst thing about math is all the kids are ahead of me because they go to school.”
Someone needs to get a grip and, in the evident absence of any responsible adult, it may have to be Child Protective Services.
