Jaden Smith

Early life

Jaden Christopher Syre Smith was born July 8, 1998, in Malibu, California, the son of actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. He has an older half-brother, Trey Smith () and a younger sister, Willow Smith (). He attended New Village Leadership Academy before being homeschooled by his parents. Growing up, his fame and his family's celebrity status prevented him from having a normal childhood, something he has spoken on at length. He took up skateboarding.

Smith and his siblings were youth ambassadors for Project Zambi, which, in conjunction with Hasbro, helps Zambian children orphaned by AIDS.

Career

Acting

Smith made his major role debut in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness as Christopher, the son of Chris Gardner, Will Smith's character. For the role, he won the Breakthrough Performance Award at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. He next appeared as Jacob in the 2008 Scott Derrickson science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 classic of the same name.

In 2010, with Jackie Chan, Smith starred in The Karate Kid, a remake of the 1984 film. In May 2013, Will Smith and Jaden starred together, as father and son, in After Earth. In 2014, it was announced that Smith would return for the sequel Karate Kid 2 with Jackie Chan, to be directed by Breck Eisner, produced by James Lassiter and Will Smith, and written by Zak Penn.

In April 2014, Smith was cast in the film The Good Lord Bird, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by James McBride. Smith plays Henry Shackleford, a young slave living in the antebellum Kansas Territory in 1857 who encounters abolitionist John Brown.

Smith took a break from acting following the release of his mixtape Cool Tape Vol. 2 to focus on music. He then returned to act in the Netflix original The Get Down in 2017. He also had a voice-acting role in Neo Yokio and a role in Nashville as himself. Commenting on his break from acting, he said, "The kinds of roles I was being offered weren't exactly what I was looking for, nothing felt really necessary that I needed to be in until this came along". Smith returned to acting in films with the February 2018 announcement of a film based on skateboarding. On June 21, 2018, Crystal Moselle's Skate Kitchen released its first official trailer with Smith as the main character. It was released on August 10, 2018, after screening at the Sundance Film Festival in the winter of 2017. In 2020, he starred with Cara Delevingne in the romantic drama Life in a Year, to positive reviews.

Music

In 2010, Smith rapped alongside Canadian singer Justin Bieber in the song "Never Say Never". It peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified 5× Platinum in the US.

On October 1, 2012, Smith released his debut mixtape, The Cool Cafe. He released the sequel to The Cool Cafe on November 8, 2014, titled CTV2.

Smith started working on his debut studio album in 2014, a process that took three years. He announced in December 2016 that it would be titled Syre. The lead single from Syre, "Fallen", was released on December 5, 2016, and three more singles were released—"Batman" and "Watch Me" and "Falcon"—on July 14 on November 16, 2017, respectively. Syre was released on November 17, 2017, and debuted at No. 24 on the US Billboard 200. "Icon" was released as a single on the same day, reaching No. 3 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Smith later announced on December 14, 2017, that his next project following Syre would be titled Erys. Another project, Syre: The Electric Album, was later teased via Twitter. Leading up to the release of the project, Smith released the single "Ghost" featuring Christian Rich. On July 8, 2018, Smith released the project exclusively on Instagram on his 20th birthday. The project was later released four days later to streaming platforms. Syre: The Electric Album is a guitar-centric rework of Smith's studio album Syre and is influenced by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Less than a year later, on July 5, 2019, Smith released his second studio album, Erys, which debuted at No. 12 on the US Billboard 200.

On July 30, 2018, Smith was announced as an opener during J. Cole's KOD Tour alongside Young Thug and EarthGang, and on August 2, he performed for the first time at Lollapalooza. One of Smith's influences, Kid Cudi, stated that he would like to make an album with Smith, which Smith supported during an interview on August 21, 2018.

Jaden was managed by Will Smith's management company, Westbrook Entertainment, until March 2019 when Three Six Zero, an established management firm, acquired Westbrook. Following the acquisition, on July 24, 2020, Smith released the single "Cabin Fever", from his third album CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3, which he described as a completion of the trilogy of the previous Cool tapes and "also kinda completing the trilogies of Syre and Erys at the same time". The album includes a collaboration with Smith's friend and previous collaborator Justin Bieber on the song "Falling for You". On June 21, 2021, Smith released the single "Bye". On August 27, 2021, Smith released another version of the album CTV3: Day Tripper's Edition on all streaming platforms.

Fashion

GQ described Smith in 2018 as "in a league of his own" in terms of fashion and a "superstar who has taken fashion to an entirely different level". Smith has called Tyler the Creator, Batman, and Poseidon his icons when it comes to fashion. Smith said that Tyler the Creator introduced him to the brand Supreme. Batman's dark, gothic scenery has influenced the clothing he has created through his brand MSFTSrep, as well as his personal clothing style, wearing Batman protective armor to Kanye West's and Kim Kardashian's wedding and his prom. In May 2013, Smith collaborated with a Korean designer named Choi Bum Suk to create a pop-up retail store at which customers could buy clothes featuring their collaborative logos.

In 2016, Smith modeled in a womenswear campaign for Louis Vuitton wearing a skirt. Explaining his choice to wear a skirt, he said he was attempting to combat bullying, saying, "In five years, when a kid goes to school wearing a skirt, he won't get beat up and kids won't get mad at him." Smith continued to wear womenswear throughout the rest of 2016. He was the first male model to model womenswear for Louis Vuitton. He created a denim line with fashion brand G-Star in 2018.

In September 2025, Smith was appointed Creative Director of Christian Louboutin, making him the brand's first male creative director. In the role, Smith would be tasked with shaping four collections annually across men's shoes, leather goods, and accessories.

Just Water

Smith has been a partner in spring water company Just Water since he was 12 years old. The company is attempting to create a water filtration system anyone can afford for use in disadvantaged regions and nations; it also seeks to aid in the development of water infrastructure and the creation of environmentally-friendly construction methods, producing a novel drywall design. Just Water launched officially in the UK on August 27, 2018.

Musical artistry and influences

Smith's influences include Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Kurt Cobain and Tycho. He also considers his father, Will Smith, an inspiration, saying: "He started in music and transitioned to movies. I started with movies, and then I transitioned into making music—I look at him and use it as a blueprint of how good of a person he is, but not necessarily the success that he reached."

Personal life

Jaden Smith's father, Will, revealed that his son sought an emancipation ruling as a present for his 15th birthday. Will told the media that Jaden's primary motivation was the establishment of his own residence and also explained that his children were not subject to strict parenting: "We generally don't believe in punishment. From the time Jaden was five or six, we would sit him down, and all he has to do is be able to explain why what he did was the right thing for his life." However, Smith and his father appeared together on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 15, 2013, where Jaden joked:

In June 2017, at the age of 19, Smith moved out of his parents' house and into a $4 million home in Hidden Hills, California.

Smith is a vegetarian. He started a mobile restaurant providing free vegan dinners for people experiencing homelessness (but where others pay). His vegan lifestyle caused his parents to intervene following a rapid decline in his health. He was later diagnosed with lactose intolerance and celiac disease. He later returned to vegetarianism.

In 2013, Smith criticized traditional education and advised people to drop out of school. Discussing teenagers who attend public school, he said, "Kids who go to normal school are so teenagery, so angsty." Smith subscribes to, and tweets about, numerous conspiracy theories, including the Illuminati and chemtrails hypotheses.

Smith dated Sarah Snyder from 2015 to 2017. She inspired numerous songs on Smith's debut album, Syre. Beginning in November 2018, Smith claimed that rapper Tyler, the Creator was his boyfriend. Tyler, who is bisexual, denied this claim. In the song "NOIZE" on Erys in 2019, Tyler revealed, while rapping, that their relationship claims were sarcastic.

Smith has been called a non-binary icon for his work in popular media, challenging traditional gender roles. He is often seen in gender-fluid clothing, wearing dresses, skirts, and high-heeled shoes. For his Vogue Korea editorial in 2016, he wore traditionally female attire: a black skirt, blue nail polish, and a flower in his hair. He has made public comments such as "If I Wanna Wear A Dress, Then I Will, And That Will Set The New Wave...". He said that he wore skirts primarily to help kids to be bullied less in schools.

In 2023, Smith was the subject of an online death hoax after Facebook posts and YouTube videos claimed that he had died. Posts on various social media platforms claimed that Will Smith publicly announced the death of his son.

Discography

Main article: Jaden Smith discography

Studio albums

• Syre (2017)
• Erys (2019)
• CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3 (2020)

Tours

Headlining

• Vision Tour: A North American Journey (2018)

Co-headlining

• Willow & Erys Tour (with Willow Smith) (2019)

Supporting

• Fall Out Boy – Mania Tour (2017)
• J. Cole – KOD Tour (2018)
• Post Malone – Beerbongs & Bentleys Tour (2019)
• Tyler, the Creator – IGOR Tour (2019)
• Justin Bieber – Justice World Tour (2022)
• Kid Cudi – Insano World Tour (2024)

Filmography

Film

Television

Explanatory notes

References

References

1. {{allMusic. artist. jaden-smith-mn0003834073/biography. Neil Z. Yeung
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3. (July 14, 2017). "Jaden Smith's Art Collective MSFTSrep Partners With Roc Nation". [[XXL (magazine).
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5. "Gamma. Aligns With Three Six Zero". HITS Digital Ventures.
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35. "Exclusive: Jaden Smith Drops "Icon" Video and Explains Why It Took 3 Years to Make 'SYRE'".
36. (December 5, 2016). "Jaden Smith's New Music Video Looks Like "Westworld" Season 2".
37. "Watch Jaden Smith Stumble Around A Ghost Town In New "Fallen" Video". [[The Fader]].
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40. (June 15, 2017). "Jaden Smith's new music video 'Batman' is basically just Drake's 'Jumpman' but with him saying 'Batman'". The Independent.
41. (November 15, 2017). "Jaden Smith Teams Up With Raury On New Song "Falcon"". XXL.
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61. (August 31, 2018). "JADEN SMITH WANTS YOU TO DRESS LIKE A SUPERHERO AND GREEK GOD".
62. "Jaden Smith's Three Style Icons: Tyler, The Creator, Batman & Poseidon". HotNewHipHop.
63. "Jaden Smith Says He 'Never Cared About Supreme' Until Tyler, the Creator".
64. Woolf, Jake. (June 23, 2015). "Jaden Smith Tells Us Why He Wore a Batman Suit to KimYe's Wedding". GQ.
65. "Jaden Smith Is Sure to Love the Batman Clothes From Undercover".
66. [http://www.allkpop.com/2013/05/jay-park-girls-generation-and-more-attend-jaden-smiths-msftsrep-and-general-ideas-pop-up-store-event "Jay Park, Girls' Generation, and more attend Jaden Smith's 'MSFTSrep' and 'General Idea's pop-up store event"] {{Webarchive. link. (August 24, 2020. AllKPop.com. May 8, 2013.)
67. (July 7, 2016). "Jaden Smith explains why he wears skirts". The Independent.
68. (July 8, 2016). "Jaden Smith Wants More Men to Wear Skirts". Cosmopolitan.
69. Berlinger, Max. (March 9, 2016). "Jaden Smith Continues to Look Really Dope in Women's Clothes". GQ.
70. (January 4, 2016). "Will Smith's son is first male star to front women's campaign for Louis Vuitton". Metro.
71. (September 2, 2018). "G-Star RAW Partners with Jaden Smith on a Sustainable Collection". Highsnobiety.
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73. Socha, Miles. (2025-09-17). "Jaden Smith Is Christian Louboutin's First Men's Creative Director".
74. (2025-09-17). "What Does Jaden Smith Know About Shoes?".
75. "Jaden Smith in His Own Words: Why I Started a Business to Help the Environment". InStyle.com.
76. (July 12, 2018). "Jaden Smith Supports JUST Water in Cartons. – BuzzOnEarth". BuzzOnEarth.
77. "Jaden Smith by Kid Cudi {{!}} V Man".
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79. (November 17, 2017). "Jaden Smith Interview: What It Means to Become an Adult". Highsnobiety.
80. Cover Media. (May 14, 2013). "Will Smith's son Jaden wants to be emancipated from parents". The Herald Sun.
81. (May 15, 2013). "Jaden Smith Jokes About 'Emancipation' Rumors; Says He's Living With His Folks For '20 to 30 More Years'". Radar Online, LLC.
82. "Jaden & Willow Smith Moved Out Of Their Parents House".
83. "Will and Jada Pinkett Smith had 'intervention' with son Jaden for 'wasting away' as vegan".
84. "Jaden Smith Opens Free Vegan Food Truck on Skid Row in Los Angeles".
85. (September 26, 2019). "Will Smith staged intervention to save vegan son after 'his skin turned grey'".
86. (September 24, 2019). "Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith stage intervention with son Jaden over his eating habits".
87. "The 11 Weirdest Things Willow and Jaden Smith Told 'The NY Times'". Entertainment Tonight.
88. (August 9, 2018). "Jaden Smith Believes A Real Place Like Wakanda Secretly Exists". [[HuffPost]].
89. "Jaden Smith Raps About The Illuminati, Harry Potter, And Baby Ghost Elvis Presley On New Album". MTV News.
90. "Jaden Smith Just Proved The Illuminati Is Real And In His Backyard". MTV News.
91. "Jaden Smith on Twitter". Twitter.
92. "Jaden Smith Broke Up With His Girlfriend For the Most Jaden Smith Reason". BET.com.
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94. "Jaden Smith Confirms Tyler, The Creator Is His Boyfriend". gaytimes.co.uk.
95. (January 27, 2020). "Jaden Smith congratulates "boyfriend" Tyler, the Creator for Grammy win".
96. (February 12, 2019). "Tyler, the Creator responds to Jaden Smith calling him his boyfriend".
97. Opie, David. (2019-07-10). "Jaden – 'ERYS' Review".
98. (2020-01-31). "Why LGBTQ+ icon Jaden Smith is challenging gender norms".
99. (2016-01-08). "Jaden Smith isn't threatening transgender territory – he's a non-binary icon".
100. Dastagir, Alia E.. "Josh Hawley calls for a return to traditional masculinity. A new generation of men disagree.".
101. (2018-03-26). "Jaden Smith Says He'll Wear a Dress if He Wants to".
102. Chung, Madelyn. (January 27, 2016). "Jaden Smith Continues Gender-Fluid Style Streak In Vogue Korea". [[HuffPost]].
103. Smith, Jaden. (Mar 25, 2018). "Jaden Smith on Twitter".
104. Blair, Olivia. (2016-07-07). "Jaden Smith explains why he wears skirts".
105. Liles, Jordan. (2023-01-23). "Jaden Smith Is Not Dead, Despite Viral Facebook Death Hoax".
106. Diane Garrett. (March 13, 2008). "Smith siblings to star in 'Amulet'". Variety.
107. "Jaden Smith's 'Skate Kitchen' Movie Coming to Theaters This Summer". Complex.
108. (May 28, 2020). "Justin Bieber: Seasons: All the Celebrity Cameos Featured on Show".
109. (March 2, 2017). "Jaden Smith & Cara Delevingne Tapped As Leads In 'Life In A Year' From Overbrook Entertainment". Deadline.