Will Smith Said He Felt Like A ‘Coward’ For Not Defending His Mother From Abusive Father

Will Smith told David Letterman that he felt like a “coward” for failing to protect his mother from his abusive father.

The “Men In Black” actor made the comments during a new episode of Netflix’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” according to The New York Post. The episode started with a Disclaimer saying it was filmed prior to the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony, which was when Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face. 

“Don’t say nothin’ ‘bout my mother, Dave,” Smith teases Letterman at one point during the episode.

Later, the 53-year-old actor talked about his childhood and how it still affects him. Smith said he goes into detail about certain events in his upcoming memoir, “Will.”

“The first line of the first chapter is, ‘I’ve always thought of myself as a coward,” the actor told Letterman. “When I was nine years old, I saw my father beat up my mother, and I didn’t do anything. And that just left a traumatic impression of myself as a coward.” 

“Life is so exciting to me right now, because I can reach people differently than I’ve ever been able to reach people, largely because of my pain,” he continued. “I’m really ready to dive into my art in a way that I think will be hopefully fulfilling for me and helpful for the human family.”

The “Pursuit of Happyness” star also gave the former late night host some tips for defending his family. He said the “material world is completely, utterly, and totally incapable of sustaining our happiness.”

“Beyond the essentials of protecting yourself and your family,” Letterman replied.

“You can’t protect your family, right?” Smith countered. “That’s not real. Protection and safety is an illusion. You have to learn to live with the reality that any moment, anything can be gone in one second.”

“So with that reality,

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