Before Jada Pinkett Smith released her debut memoir “Worthy,” the American actress engaged in a press run and attended various interviews where she publicly humiliated her husband, Will Smith. From her adamantly discussing her entanglement with Tupac Shakur to questioning Will’s behavior at the 2022 Oscars, people became tired of reading outlandish headlines about the Smith family. However, she only stated all of this hectic information for the launch of her riveting new book which she released October 17. According to the “Madagascar” voice actor, Jada wanted to write about her difficult childhood and complicated marriage. In a media-driven landscape that crafts narratives for celebrities, she wanted to recount her story and take accountability for her actions. However, Jada suffers from the same stereotypes that celebrity books typically suffer from which creates stigma around how famous influencers tend to prioritize the controversies and headlines that their memoirs could potentially reel in, rather than the actual content of the book.
Due to Jada’s consistent press run about her personal life and her latest book, people wanted to see if “Worthy” met their expectations. According to GoodReads, reviews find the book insufferable because she scatters the book with unnecessary self-help sections. One reviewer claims that Jada explained her spiritual trip to Vietnam in extreme detail, but skims over the details of her open marriage and the 2022 Oscars incident. Even though Jada talks adamantly about her marriage and embarrasses her family on social media, she only briefly mentions the drama in her latest book. Another reviewer claims that Jada portrays herself as an incredibly self-centered person and that she utilizes spiritual language and self-help writing to lie to her audience about certain events.
“Jada Pinkett Smith is a prime example of somebody who can’t keep their business in their house and I’m really disappointed in hearing what she has to say every day. In fact, I have blocked her and any mention of her on Twitter because I am tired of seeing something new every week that’s just completely despicable that comes out of her mouth,” magnet senior Ralph Philogene said.
Although Jada can assert that people should hear her story and read about her perspective, she does not write a story that deserves mass publication or literary acclaim. Instead, she uses the book as a way to attract headlines and receive profit. It seems as if numerous celebrities came out this year with elongated memoirs about their personal lives, but a majority of these books remain torturous to read.
For example, Prince Harry’s “Spare” which was released in early 2023, claimed to express torturous feelings from the readers who read it. Harry grew up with the Royal Family and his audience expected him to provide a groundbreaking book about his personal life, including his marriage with Meghan Markle and the death of his mother Princess Diana. Instead, avid readers claimed that he published a boring book that highlights unnecessary events and that the language volleys between eloquent and juvenile. Shortly after this book caused mixed reviews, people found out that J.R. Moehringer ghost-wrote the entire book.
Fans will adamantly defend their favorite celebrities and claim that their adored figures should write about their personal lives as well as reveal unearthed details to the public. However, if a celebrity does not provide interesting storytelling and uses his or her book as a way to receive money, then readers should not care about the writing.
“A couple of years ago, we would recognize and view Jada as a strong fundamental part of the Smith family, but now whenever I think about Jada Pinkett Smith I can’t help but see a virus that is completely deteriorating her family,” Philogene said.
Celebrities such as Britney Spears stand out as excellent people with extraordinary memoirs that deserve neverending praise. For years, the pop star endured severe scrutiny on media platforms and abuse under a conservatorship with her father. After a judge finally ruled to end a conservatorship overseeing Spears’ life and finances in 2021, Spears prioritized her mental health and released her memoir “The Woman in Me” in late 2023. While Jada debuted on several news networks and made outlandish remarks regarding her family, Spears chose to let her book speak for itself.
Other celebrities such as Jennette McCurdy have discussed their personal lives through writing, which resulted in the emotional yet powerful book “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” Her book sheds necessary light on a variety of topics such as eating disorders and misconduct within the acting industry, and McCurdy blends elements of humor and sadness in her writing. Unlike Jada, Spears and McCurdy do not overshadow their inspiring stories with blatant cash grabs or outlandish remarks. Instead, celebrities should only publish memoirs if they can talk about their profound backgrounds with exquisite execution.
