Jaden Smith Wants Emancipation from Parents for 15th Birthday

Image: Just Jared

Well, this is ridiculous.

Jaden Smith is asking his parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, for an emancipation as a gift for his fifteenth birthday. Will explained the situation in a press conference promoting his latest film, After Earth, in which he co-stars with his son.

According to the NY Daily News, Will had this to say:

(Jaden) says, 'Dad, I want to be emancipated.' I know if we do this, he can be an emancipated minor, because he really wants to have his own place, like ooh… If kids just want to have command of their lives, I understand.

Following up, Will recalled the relationship he had with his own strict father:

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… Your father's the biggest movie star in the world, and you're struggling for your little piece of dignity in this extreme shadow.

Where do I even start with this? Your child can have space, power, and privacy in his own life without striking out on his own at age fifteen. I generally like Will Smith, so I hope this was taken out of context. It's not like Will is some awful stage dad who's mooching off of his successful kid. He's "the biggest movie star in the world"!.. You can check out the trailer for After Earth below!