Actor Jaden Smith attends the 'After Earth' press conference on May 7, 2013 in Seoul, South Korea. Will Smith and Jaden Smith are visiting South Korea to promote their recent film 'After Earth' which will be released in South Korea on May 30. (Getty Images)more pics »Jaden Smith has a pretty cool set of parents, but he wishes they'd cut him loose a little early. The 14-year-old performer has reportedly asked his father for legal emancipation for his 15th birthday — but only because he wants his own place.
In a discussion of why he and his wife don't punish their children, Will told The Sun, "[Jaden] says, ‘Dad, I want to be emancipated.’ I know if we do this, he can be an emancipated minor, because he really wants to have his own place, like ooh ... That’s the backlash. On the other side, if kids just want to have command of their lives, I understand.”
It's not clear whether Will and Jada will eventually cave to Jaden's demands. But if they do give him what he wants, he certainly won't be the first young star to gain legal emancipation before the age of 18.
Like, for example:
Michelle WilliamsAgainst her parents' wishes, Williams filed for legal emancipation at the age of 15 to take control of her career — and to avoid child labor laws. She later told GQ, "It was just stupid. I didn't know what I was taking on."
Corey FeldmanCorey Feldman was also legally emancipated from his parents by age 15. When he went to trial, he learned that only $40,000 of his $1 million earnings remained. Two years later, he was married.
Drew BarrymoreDrew Barrymore had been in rehab three times by the time she turned 15, so she didn't have a hard time convincing a court that her mother Jaid, a Studio 54 regular, was a bad influence. Barrymore did not invite Jaid to her 2012 wedding.
Jena MaloneActress Jena Malone filed for legal emancipation at 15, claiming her mother had mismanaged her earnings. She told People it was "weird" living on her own: "If I wanted to eat, I had to cook. I could stay up as late as I wanted, but after a few nights of staying up until dawn, you realize you need sleep. You eventually grow up."
Edward FurlongTerminator 2 star Edward Furlong was 16 when he became legally emancipated from his parents. His relationship with his 29-year-old tutor-turned-manager Jacqueline Domac, with whom he lived, played a part in his decision to divorce his family.
Macaulay CulkinMacaulay Culkin was 14 when his parents separated, leading to a massive argument over their son's earnings. He reacted by filing for and winning legal emancipation from both of them, and retired from the entertainment world for several years.
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