Will Smith and his family have been honored with The Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award for their joy and “longstanding contributions to the world,” highlighting their charitable acts and groundbreaking discussions about mental health.
Established as a way to honor the legacy of Williams by the late actor’s children, following his tragic death in 2014, the family teamed up with a nonprofit group called Bring Change to Mind, co-founded by legendary actress Glenn Close, with the purpose to bring awareness for mental illness.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith accepted the award alongside their daughter Willow, his son Trey, and Jaden Smith who was also present via FaceTime, as they confessed “There‘s been a lot of laughter in this house because of Robin Williams,” adding that the actor “impacted our lives generationally.”
Zachary Williams, son of the late actor, was in charge of giving the emotional speech, declaring that the Smiths have done an amazing job, “from feeding the homeless, helping inner-city youth programs, fighting AIDS in South Africa, and bringing safe water to those who need it most.“
Also taking the time to talk about the conversations on Jada’s Red Table Talk, “You‘ve held groundbreaking, open discussions about important topics like family, career, and mental health in a world that often expects silence from its most visible citizens.“
Will went on to praise Williams about his “human connection,” as he wanted to make people laugh, while Zachary commented on his performance in Aladdin, with Robin as the original genie, “from one genie family to another, thanks for sharing your phenomenal cosmic powers with the world.“
