Will Smith Reflects on the Moment Willow Shaved Her Head On Tour
In a moment that’s gone viral from the new documentary Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, Will Smith opened up about a defining father-daughter experience — the night Willow Smith shaved her head in the middle of her Whip My Hair tour.
The Bad Boys star described the event as one of the most “magical moments” of his life.
“We were in Dublin, Ireland. Willow comes off stage after performing with Justin Bieber and says, ‘I’m done, Daddy,’” Will recalled. “I said, ‘Yeah, that was a great show!’ And she said, ‘No, I mean I’m done. I’m ready to go home.’”
Will, who had promised Jay-Z and Roc Nation that Willow would complete the 30-day tour, told her she couldn’t leave yet. But Willow’s response stopped him in his tracks:
“She said, ‘No, Daddy — you promised Mr. Jay-Z.’”
Later that night, Will said he was stunned when Willow emerged from her hotel room with a shaved head.
“In the middle of her Whip My Hair tour, she had shaved her head bald,” he said. “And it was like a magical moment. I was like — got it.”
At just 10 years old, Willow’s act was more than rebellion. She later explained in interviews that she felt “overwhelmed” and “powerless” during her early rise to fame.
In a 2022 Guardian interview, Willow shared,
“I felt like I had no control. That was the part that wasn’t cool for me… because I was so young, people didn’t trust my opinions.”
Cutting her hair, she said, became a symbol of taking that power back.
Willow has since evolved into a multi-genre artist and thoughtful voice in music and culture, using her art to explore identity, emotion, and freedom.
For Will, that moment remains a reminder of what parenting means.
“It was her way of saying, ‘I need to be heard,’” Will reflected in his memoir. “And she was right.”
