Will Smith Opens Up About Father in New Book
- In his new eponymous book, Will Smith details his complicated relationship with his father and caring for him during his battle with cancer.
- Willard Smith Sr. died from cancer in 2016.
- Coping with a parent’s cancer diagnosis can be helped by seeing a psychologist or social worker.
In the new book, USA TODAY reports, Will reflects on his feelings towards his father, which were at odds with each other.
Will’s Relationship with His Dad & Acting as Caretaker Through His Father’s Cancer Battle
Read More“Within everything that I have done since then the awards and accolades, the spotlights and attention, the characters and the laughs there has been a subtle string of apologies to my mother for my inaction that day. For failing her in the moment. For failing to stand up to my father. For being a coward.”
Will describes his dad as a violent alcoholic. Yet, Will writes, he was also on-hand and sober for every one of Will’s film premieres. Will also says that when his father, who was a refrigeration engineer and U.S. Air Force veteran, got sick with cancer, the actor thought about ending his dad’s life to avenge his mom.
Will writes, “One night, as I delicately wheeled him from his bedroom toward the bathroom, a darkness arose within me. The path between the two rooms goes past the top of the stairs. As a child I’d always told myself that I would one day avenge my mother. That when I was big enough, when I was strong enough, when I was no longer a coward, I would slay him.”
Will continues, “I paused at the top of the stairs. I could shove him down, and easily get away with it. … As the decades of pain, anger, and resentment coursed then receded, I shook my head and proceeded to wheel Daddio to the bathroom.”
The actor says, despite everything, his dad was a blessing and a curse. “My father tormented me. And he was also one of the greatest men I've ever known. He was one of the greatest blessings of my life, and also one of my greatest sources of pain.”
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Coping with a Parent’s Cancer Diagnosis
When a parent is diagnosed with cancer, it can feel devastating and overwhelming; even if, like Will Smith, you had a complicated relationship with your now-sick parent.
Whether or not you decide to step in in a caretaking role, as Will did, is up to you. Caring for your mental health is important regardless of the role you play in your parent’s cancer journey, and for some people, seeing a psychologist or therapist after their diagnosis may be a helpful way to process the news.
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