Friday, March 29, 2024

Will Smith’s New Memoir Doesn’t Address Failed Private School, Scientology Connections That Hounded Him

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Will Smith has a new movie out, “King Richard,” and a memoir called “Will.”

The movie struggled at the box office this weekend, taking in just $5.7 million in wide release. The book is number 6 at amazon on its bestseller list.

Although Smith has been incredibly candid over the last year about his open marriage, affairs, his sex life, weight gain, and various other topics that fall under the rubric of “TMI”– too much information — he skips one big issue in the book.

Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett started a private school in lush Calabasas, California for their son and daughter. They hired the administrators and teachers, used Scientology curriculum, and went belly up in 2013. This adventure, however, is skipped over in “Will.”

Initially, Smith admits in the book to becoming obsessed with Tom Cruise, the most famous Scientology celebrity. Will and Jada got every chummy with Cruise when he was going through his Katie Holmes phase, even attending several huge events with him very publicly. And vice versa. It was clear that Cruise saw an opening to bring the Smiths into his cult.

Will and Jada proceeded to start the New Village Academy in Calabasas. They brought in a Scientologist to run it, had a lot scandals and problems, and the whole went up in financial flames in 2013 when their kids were done with it.

It’s a chapter in Will Smith’s life you’d think would merit some recollection in a 400 plus page book. Equally absent from “Will” is any mention of the Scientology like movie bomb Will starred in with son Jaden, “After Earth.” He may be saving all that material for the sequel.

 

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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