Will Smith has written an autobiography (with Mark Manson). “Will” will be published on November 9th by Penguin Press.
No doubt “Will” covers Smith’s Philadelphia childhood, rapper career, “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and early movie successes with “Bad Boys” and “Independence Day.” All good.
And when you meet Will Smith, he is relentlessly polite, engaging, and cheerful. All that should come across in the book.
But what remains to be seen is how candid and forthcoming Smith will be about real subjects. For example, he and wife Jada Pinkett Smith started their own private school in Calabasas, California in which they placed their own kids, Jaden and Willow. The school was run by a Scientologist and taught the curriculum. At the time, Will said in interviews that he was open to all groups. This was after he and Jada had become swept in Tom Cruise-mania.
Eventually the school went under, and disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
For years, Will and Jada have also run a sketchy 501(c)3 charity that has given money to odd groups including the Nation of Islam.
More recently, rumors of the Smiths’ open marriage bubbled upon on Jada’s Red Table talk show on Facebook. It was certainly made clear just before the pandemic that each of the spouses had led their own lives and that fidelity was not observed.
So as an honest autobiography from Will Smith would be welcome, who knows what “Will” will reveal. But almost certainly, we’ll get the story of how Will became a rare Hollywood mega star, self-made by sheer dint of hard work.
Will and Manson put this video up in 2018. Will said of choosing a publisher, “I’m very confident we’ll go with the…highest bidder!”
