Fact Check

Did Jaden Smith Say He Wanted His Penis Removed on His 18th Birthday?

Reports that Jaden Smith said he wanted to have his penis removed on his 18th birthday originated with a fake news site.

Published Nov. 3, 2014

Claim:
Jaden Smith stated he wanted to have his penis removed on his 18th birthday.

On 30 September 2014, the NAHA Daily web site published an article reporting that Jaden Smith, son of actor Will Smith, was planning on having his penis removed on his 18th birthday:

"This is a decision I made on my own, but I hope this doesn't affect my parents decision to assist me with this financially," giggled Jaden when he revealed his eighteenth birthday plans.

Will Smith's son Jaden Smith, 16, made the announcement that he would have his male member removed on his eighteenth birthday, because in his words "My penis doesn't define me."

The story went viral a few weeks later when comedian D.L. Hughley posted a link to the article on his Facebook page:

Many readers were skeptical about the merits of the story, but some conceded it was within the realm of possibility. In addition to starring in movies such as The Karate Kid and After Earth, Jaden Smith had become well known online for his bizarre philosophical musings on Twitter, so when the rumor that he planned to remove his penis began circulating, well, it didn't seem too far-fetched to some:

Jaden Smith, however, had no plans to remove his penis. The now-renamed NAHA Daily (which stood for "Negroes Against Hairline Abuse") was a satirical publication whose "About" section stated that all the site's articles are completely fictional: "NahaDaily is completely fictional and is based off of current events in urban culture and entertainment. This is satire and parody."

Moreover, Jaden Smith's birthday came and passed on 8 July 2016, with no subsequent reports of altered genitalia.