Deep down, all the actor’s achievements were an unspoken apology to his mother.
Will Smith has been a dutiful son to his mother despite a shaky upbringing. The actor is said to have bought a house near his mom Caroline Bright’s house to stay close to her. The Pursuit of Happyness actor, in his memoir released recently, has shared details about his childhood shaped his life-altering decisions later in life. The actor-rapper’s memoir, titled 'Will', details his journey through his successful career, right from his childhood, in his own voice.
The actor opens up about becoming the first man in Pennsylvania to pay their own child support, per She Knows.
The rapper who went by the name Fresh Prince reveals in his memoir that it was not until he and his mom moved into their dream home that he realized his parents haven’t divorced officially, The Times reported. The Grammy award-winner, who calls his mother “mom-mom” and father Willard Carroll Smith “daddio,” shared that he came across divorce papers his parents never signed but stayed separated for years. So, when his mom signed the papers and filed them which revealed that Smith's father owed $140,000 in child support, the actor knew he had to step in.
The actor’s father couldn’t pay the hefty amount and said Daddio had always taken care of them but never paid any child support. To ease things and to save his father from facing the threat of jail for non-payment of child support, the actor paid on behalf of his father. Smith told the outlet, "This made me the first person in the history of Pennsylvania to pay their own child support." When the mother came, she was extremely angry.
Bright paid that money right back to Smith, making her the first woman in Pennsylvania to pay back her child support and to pay the child back their child support amount.
Bright and Willard officially got divorced in 2000. Smith's book also delves into some deeply traumatic events from his childhood. The Where the Day Takes You star said he saw his mother get beaten by his father so badly that at one point she even bled due to the severity of the injuries.
At nine years old, Smith felt that he should have protected his mother. The 49-year-old actor opened up about feeling helpless and feeling the need to help his mother. The sense of not being able to protect his mom crept into his mind for a long time until his mom told him not to feel guilty about it, per Independent.
The actor’s trauma response led to his long-drawn guilt of not standing up to his father then. The artist went on to focus on his career as he put all his soul into it for not being able to respond to his childhood wrongs. Deep down, all the actor’s achievements were an unspoken apology to his mother, per PEOPLE.
Recalling his father he says he was an alcoholic but would never miss important dates for Smith. Despite being a provider for the family Smith opined about his father: "In the end, it will not matter one single bit how people loved you - you will only gain 'the Smile' based on how well you loved them. "
Reference:
https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/2504495/will-smith-memoir-fathers-unpaid-child-support/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Kevin Winter
