Jada Pinkett Smith has admitted she used to chew her nails “down to the cuticles” during her younger years, and she now recognizes that was probably due to being anxious, but she also told how she found it tough to “relate” to her 21-year-old daughter.
Jada — who also has son Jaden Smith, 23, with husband Will Smith — said: “It took me a long time to understand Willow. I mean, just her anxiety. I had a really difficult time relating, because, two things — her lifestyle and how she was brought up very different than me – I don’t know what it’s like to be a child under hot lights.
“And then just, really not knowing how to comfort her, not knowing what help she needed, not understanding the behavior.
“One thing I would say in having to deal with, and learn about her anxiety, I’ve had to look at some of my own behaviors and the behaviors of my mother, and go, well of course I probably have some anxiety in regardsto how I grew up.
“It was very difficult, even to this day, in just being there for her in the way that she needs.”
Willow also recalled how her own anxiety seemed to “trigger” her mother.
“You used to just be like, ‘No. I can’t look at this,’ ” she said on her Facebook Watch show “Red Table Talk.”
Earlier this year, Willow admitted she felt “brainwashed” into thinking she was a brat during her younger years. The 21-year-old pop star suffered anxiety attacks after releasing the hit single “Whip My Hair” in 2010, and she confessed to feeling overwhelmed by the situation at the time.
“That was crazy. I was brainwashed into thinking, ‘No, you’re being a brat, suck it up.’ Then I grew up, and I realized it was something that needed to be dealt with,” Willow cocluded.
