Jaden Smith Abruptly Ends Interview When Kanye West Question Arises
Jaden Smith left an interviewer completely baffled after he immediately walked away when questioned about his longtime friend Kanye West. The 27-year-old actor and musician, who has faced criticism over his debut collection with Christian Louboutin, was attending the red carpet premiere for Druski's "Coula Been Love" season 2 in Hollywood on Wednesday.
Viral Moment Captures Awkward Exit
In a video that has since gone viral, Complex reporter Jillian Hardeman-Webb asked Smith about his collaboration with designer Steven Smith, who has previously worked with Ye (Kanye West). "I see you're working with Steven Smith, who designed with Ye. What are y'all cooking up?" she inquired.
Upon hearing West's name mentioned, "The Karate Kid" actor promptly stormed out of the interview, swiftly walking down the red carpet without offering any response. Hardeman-Webb appeared visibly confused as she turned to the camera and humorously remarked, "I guess we'll never find out."
Representatives for Daily Mail have contacted Smith's team for comment but have not yet received a response regarding this incident.
Complicated History Between Smith and West
Smith and West, 48, share a complex relationship that has spanned many years. Their friendship dates back to when Smith attended West's 2014 wedding to Kim Kardashian. Will Smith's son was even slated to portray an "alternate reality" version of the father-of-four in a Showtime series that West was executive producing in 2019.
However, their relationship appeared to encounter significant tension during Paris Fashion Week in October 2022. In a strikingly similar fashion to the recent interview incident, Smith stormed out of West's Yeezy showcase in apparent disgust.
Controversial Fashion Show Incident
Smith's exit from the 2022 fashion show occurred after West and conservative commentator Candace Owens appeared wearing tops that displayed "White Lives Matter" on the back. During the showcase, West arranged for model Selah Marley—granddaughter of Bob Marley and daughter of Lauryn Hill—to wear one of the sweatshirts, which also featured an image of Pope John Paul II on the front.
Following the event, Smith posted a series of three tweets that clearly alluded to his departure from the Parisian fashion show. The son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith wrote, "I Had To Dip Lol ... I Don't Care Who's It Is If I Don't Feel The Message I'm Out ... Black Lives Matter."
Jaden also liked a tweet that stated: "Jaden smith was at Kanye's show and dipped when the 'white lives matter' shirts came out, that's a true king right there YUP."
Meanwhile, West responded on Instagram Stories with, "Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it's over. You're welcome."
Smith's Fashion Ventures Face Criticism
Smith has followed in West's footsteps by venturing into the fashion world, though his recent endeavors have attracted considerable ridicule from fashion bloggers. In September, the actor and rapper made history by becoming Christian Louboutin's first-ever Creative Director for their men's division.
Jaden finally unveiled his debut collection at Paris Fashion Week last month, receiving mixed reactions at best. Online fashion commentators have particularly focused on Smith's fluffy red footwear, which many have compared to Ronald McDonald and Elmo from Sesame Street.
Style influencer Kevin Shephard expressed disappointment, saying, "What are we doing? I'm genuinely pissed off because I was rooting for him so hard. This man took the opportunity of a lifetime at Christian Louboutin and fumbled it."
Fashion commentator Carlysle noted on TikTok that the faux-fur red boots—priced at $2,990—"looked like someone skinned Elmo alive," adding that one of the furry statement belts resembled "pubes coming down."
Art and design commentator Anjela Freyja observed on TikTok, "I have to be honest, it's feeling a bit redundant, probably because he's so young. He hasn't really established his own design ideas yet. The red boots are cool, but it feels like design for spectacle versus design for design, and that's very common for young designers to do."
In a particularly harsh assessment, the TikTok page I Went To The Art School commented, "We're watching a first-semester student project being sold as high luxury just because of a famous last name."
Others online mocked Jaden for showcasing a bulky $1,990 "tactical vest" that he described as "formal attire" suitable for weddings. Fashion columnist Stacey Duguid quipped, "I wouldn't wear that harness to the airport, ok hun?"
