A video of Jaden Smith acting pretty wild in public (spinning around, grabbing his head, and bending over) has gone viral and left everyone online scratching their heads. People wonder if maybe something’s wrong, or if he’s just the son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith having a moment, maybe expressing himself in a very… unique way.
In the clip, the 26-year-old rapper and actor, all decked out in red from his hoodie to his shoes, is seen acting strangely on a street corner. Many people watching called his behavior “bizarre,” saying he was twisting side to side and looked upset. The video spread like wildfire on social media, and suddenly, many people were concerned.
“Why Jaden? Are you ok? I’m concerned for him,” wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter.
Another added, “His behavior has been bizarre for a while now!” while someone straight up asked, “What’s going on with Jaden Smith?”
Will Smith’s son Jaden displays bizarre behavior on the streets of Paris.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 26, 2025
The ICON rapper isn’t new to moments that make people double-take lately.
In June, for example, he was seen in Paris, chilling on a bench with a male friend at 4 a.m. during a smoke break, just enjoying some music. While that video didn’t go viral then, people are now starting to see the connections, given what’s been happening recently.
Just weeks before Jaden’s video started getting attention, Will Smith opened up candidly. He was on a UK radio show called Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, and he admitted, “We made a very, very, very terrible mistake with our children… we went with radical honesty.”
Will Smith mentioned that the main rule he and Jada had at home was straightforward: “If you tell the truth, you won’t get in trouble.” Looking back on it now, Will considers it a “terrible” approach. He explains, “They do whatever they want, and they just come tell you. It’s awful. Don’t try it. You want your kids to lie. You (…) don’t want to know some of the stuff your kids are thinking and doing.”
Fans didn’t waste any time connecting Will’s somewhat regretful parenting philosophy to Jaden’s recent public antics. One person put it out there, “This is the behavior of a child who needs love and direction from his mother and father.”
Academy Award winner Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Trey Smith and Willow Smith photographed by Mark Seliger for Vanity Fair pic.twitter.com/bifto2mQV7
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) March 28, 2022
As worries started to spread online, a bigger question arose: Is this behavior a sign of deeper mental health issues, or is it just the world failing to understand an artistic spirit?
Supporters came to Jaden’s defense, saying people were making too much fuss. “No, he’s probably got his earphones on. I do the same… if it makes him happy, let him be,” one fan said.
Some others pushed for understanding instead of mockery: “Hope he’s okay. Public moments like this should spark care, not judgment.”
But plenty of people can’t shake the feeling that the Smith family’s relationship is complicated.
Will and Jada’s 28-year marriage hasn’t followed the usual path. In 2015, Jada’s “entanglement” with singer August Alsina was out in the open, even getting talked about again on Red Table Talk in 2020. Then, in 2023, when Jada’s book Worthy came out, she surprised everyone by saying she and Will had been separated for six years without anyone knowing.
Jada hasn’t posted on social media since February 2025, staying completely quiet online.
This has only added to the speculation that things might not be going smoothly for the Smith family. At the same time, the family has been making significant changes with their properties, like selling their home in Baltimore and putting up their California place for sale.
Will is busy with his music comeback tour, Based on a True Story, while Jada’s lack of public appearances has been quite noticeable. Seeing Jaden Smith’s recent behavior in a vacuum is challenging, given all these recent developments.
