The best part of a Will Smith movie being released these days may very well be the nuggets of information we get to learn about his existential-quandary-in-human-form offspring. Smith's new film, Focus, arrives in theaters soon, but we're more focused (sorry, had to) on the tidbits about his son, Jaden, that he drops in this new interview with Esquire.
You see, despite being born into wealth, Jaden has become a bit of an ascetic. In the interview, the reporter asks Will Smith about growing up middle-class, and how it gave him a "slavery to dollars" mentality. "You never lose the mentality. It's such a strange thing," Smith replied. "Jaden, my 16-year-old, he has one pair of shoes."
"That's it?" the interviewer asked.
"He has three pair of pants and he has five shirts," Smith continued.
"Total?"
"Total," Smith confirmed. "He has refused to be a slave to money. I so respect that..I grew up in a house where you would need the kerosene heaters in the winter in case the bills didn't get paid. He's from the complete other end of the spectrum. And it's so interesting to me that from growing up in that space, he could see the need for things in a way that he's rejecting. He's like, 'I'm not gonna let myself need things in that way' — but I would like him to get another pair of shoes."
We're all for frugality and understanding that material possessions don't correlate to happiness, but Jaden, if you're reading this, your dad wants to go to shoe shopping. (Esquire)
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