“‘After Earth’ was an abysmal box office and critical failure,” Will writes in his memoir (via People). “And what was worse was that Jaden took the hit. Fans and the press were absolutely vicious; they said and printed things about Jaden that I refuse to repeat. Jaden had faithfully done everything that I’d instructed him to do, and I had coached him into the worst public mauling he’d ever experienced.”
“We never discussed it, but I know he felt betrayed. He felt misled, and he lost his trust in my leadership,” Smith continues. “At 15 years old, when Jaden asked about being an emancipated minor, my heart shattered. He ultimately decided against it, but it sucks to feel like you’ve hurt your kids.” “After Earth” is set in the 31st century and casts Will and Jaden as a military general and his son, respectively. The two crash land on post-apocalyptic Earth and must fight to survive on the now-hostile planet. Critics tore the film apart when it opened in May 2013. “After Earth” boasts an 11 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the worst-reviewed Will Smith movies to date. Following the release of “After Earth,” Jaden has yet to return to making a studio-backed Hollywood tentpole. The young actor took a five-year movie hiatus before taking a supporting role in the Sundance favorite “Skate Kitchen.” His most recent film, “Life in a Year,” opened in 2020. Jaden’s most notable screen role is a series regular gig on Netflix’s “The Get Down,” which aired from 2016 to 2017. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
