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Jaden Smith is a singer, actor, and artist, who is from a famous Hollywood family. Smith, the brother of the singer Willow Smith, has made a name for himself in recent years as an activist and outspoken advocate for the underprivileged.

He has also made a return to acting after a break of a few years, and has been earning acclaim for his talent as well as for his open and honest nature.

Although Smith is the son of an icon who is known for his chiseled abs, the young star has taken a very naturalistic approach when it comes to health — and has been open about his journey through veganism. 

Jaden Smith is Will Smith’s youngest son

Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Jaden Smith was born in California in 1998. The son of actor Will Smith and musician/actor Jada Pinkett Smith, Jaden Smith was raised in privileged circumstances, but definitely experienced an unusual childhood. He was homeschooled for the majority of youth, although he did briefly attend New Village Leadership Academy.

When he was only eight years old, Smith made his feature film debut when he starred opposite his father in the drama The Pursuit of Happyness

Smith’s role in the film made him a star and kickstarted a string of roles in other popular films such as After Earth and The Karate Kid. Although he was earning acclaim as a hot young star, Smith decided to let acting take a backseat and focus instead on his musical career.

In 2010, he collaborated with Justin Bieber on a song called “Never Say Never,” and in 2010, he released his debut mixtape, The Cool Cafe

What is Jaden Smith best known for?

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Following the release of his mixtape, Jaden Smith was encouraged to continue pursuing music. Over the next few years, he worked on singles such as “Watch Me,” “Batman,” and “Falcon.”

Critics praised his ability to step out on his own and create an identity for himself, separate from that of his famous parents, while Smith’s young fans loved his originality.

In addition to his work in music and movies, Smith is well known for his habit of inciting controversy. Smith is often pictured wearing women’s clothing and he has stated that his decision to wear skirts is an effort to combat bullying. “So, you know, in five years when a kid goes to school wearing a skirt, he won’t get beat up and kids won’t get mad at him,” Smith stated. 

Does Jaden Smith follow a vegan lifestyle?

In a late 2019 episode of “Red Table Talk,” the Smith family opened up about Jaden Smith’s decision to follow a vegan diet for a period of time. Smith, who was a high-profile vegan, praised the diet, and was even known for opening up a vegan food truck to feed homeless people.

Still, his parents noticed that his diet was taking a toll on his health. “Will and I had a bit of an intervention with Jaden because he’s a vegan now, but we realized he wasn’t getting enough protein,” Jada Pinkett Smith said per USA Today. “So he was wasting away. He just looked drained. He was just depleted. He wasn’t getting enough nutrients.”

Jaden Smith admitted that he wasn’t feeling or looking his best, and that although he had been following a strictly vegan diet, he needed to overhaul his eating habits. “I was just eating like two meals a day. And maybe one,” he stated on the “Red Table Talk” episode.

“I was not doing good,” he said. “I wasn’t looking good, I wasn’t feeling good, I wasn’t sleeping.” These days, Smith still eats light — but he follows a vegetarian diet, rather than a vegan one.