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​Willow Smith Reveals She Self Harmed When She Was A Child

​Willow Smith Reveals She Self Harmed When She Was A Child

The 17-year-old said that the felt she 'lost her sanity' at the time of the release of debut single 'Whip My Hair'

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Willow Smith, the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, has revealed that she self-harmed as a child.

During an interview on web series Red Table Talk, the Facebook chat show hosted by her mother Jada, Willow explained that she started cutting herself shortly after the release of her hit single 'Whip My Hair'.

She was just nine when the song came out.

Speaking to her mum and grandmother Adrienne Banfield-Norrison - who asked her what her biggest loss had been - the now-17-year-old said that the felt she 'lost her sanity' at the time of the song's release.

"After all of that settled down and there was a lull, I was just listening to a lot of dark music and it was just so crazy," she said.

"I was just plunged into this black hole and I was cutting myself."

Jada and Adrienne looked shocked at the revelation, Jada saying that she had 'no idea'.

"Really? When were you cutting yourself? I didn't see that part?" Jada asked.

PA

Willow added: "I was kind of just in this grey area of like, 'Who am I? Do I have a purpose? Is there anything that I can do besides this?'

"I honestly felt like I was experiencing so much emotional pain but my physical circumstances weren't reflecting that."

Showing Jada and Adrienne some scars, Willow said: "Totally lost my sanity for a moment there."

Explaining that she told one friend about it at the time, Willow also said that she hasn't tended to talk much about it to people, but that it made the pain more tangible and less like a 'ghost in your mind'.

"But one night I was just like, 'This is actually psychotic'. And after that, I just stopped," Willow said, going on to add that the self harming ended five years ago.

The episode of Red Table Talk explored the concept of surviving loss, with Jada discussing the impact of the tragic death of her long-time best friend, Tupac Shakur - the rapper who was killed in a back in drive-by shooting back in 1996.

"I've had a lot of loss. So many of my close friends have gone," Jada said.

"You always have to reach out and tell people you love them," Willow said, her grandmother nodding in agreement.

'U OK M8?' is an initiative from LADbible in partnership with a range of mental health charities which features a series of films and stories to raise awareness of mental health.

Explore more here and don't suffer in silence. Reach out. It's the brave thing to do.

MIND: 0300 123 3393.

Samaritans: 116 123.

CALM: Outside London 0808 802 5858, inside London 0800 58 58 58.

Mental Health Foundation

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: U OK M8, Celebrity, Mental Health, jada pinkett smith, Will Smith