Willow Smith's Jaw Drops as Jennette McCurdy Reads Mom's Email: 'Slut'

Willow Smith had a strong reaction to Jennette McCurdy's scathing email from her late mother on Red Table Talk.

The Nickelodeon alum, 30, read the note aloud to co-hosts Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Adrienne Banfield Norris in a preview for the Facebook Watch show's September 7 episode.

McCurdy's mom, Debra McCurdy, allegedly saw photos online of the iCarly star with a man at the time.

"Dear Nette, I am so disappointed in you. You used to be my perfect little angel, but now you're nothing more than a little slut, a floozy, all used up," she began, as Smith's jaw dropped.

"And to think, you wasted it on that hideous ogre of a man. I saw the pictures on a website called TMZ. I saw you rubbing his disgusting, hairy stomach."

Willow Smith Reacts Jennette McCurdy Mom Email
Willow Smith attends Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 presented by Amazon Prime Video at the Los Angeles Convention Center in L.A. on October 2, 2020. (Inset) Jennette McCurdy and mom Debra McCurdy at... Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 Presented by Amazon Prime Video; Inset Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Her mother continued to call the actress a "liar, conniving" and "evil," before telling her she looked "pudgier too."

"What happened to my good little girl?" McCurdy continued reading. "Where did she go, and who is this monster who replaced her? You're an ugly monster now."

Smith, 21, sighed while putting her hands on her head.

"I told your brothers about you, and they all said they disown you, just like I do. We want nothing to do with you. Love, mom. Or should I say Deb, since I'm no longer your mother. P.S. Send money for a new fridge, ours broke," McCurdy said.

"P.S. send money for a new fridge?" Smith repeated in horror. "Wow."

Newsweek reached out to McCurdy for additional comment.

McCurdy's mom died in 2013 when the pair were estranged. Seven years after her passing, the Sam and Cat alum performed her show "I'm Glad My Mom Died" in New York and Los Angeles. By August 2022, she published a book by the same name.

In the New York Times bestselling memoir, McCurdy detailed how her mother forced her into acting at age six. She also spoke candidly about battling eating disorders, noting her mom taught her restrictive eating at age 11.

"My mom said she could teach me calorie counting and we could be a team, but that I had to keep it secret," the author told People while promoting the book. "I thought it was an opportunity for my mom and me to be closer."

The Empty Inside podcast host said that she "was a mess for a long time," living on just 1,000 calories a day.

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration's website, "2,000 calories a day is used as a general guide for nutrition advice."

McCurdy's mother was diagnosed with cancer for a second time when she was 18, which caused the star to binge eat. Following her death, the singer began purging to cope.

Luckily, through the help of Dialectical Behavior Therapy—a type of talking therapy that's often effective for people who feel intense emotions, according to mind.org—McCurdy was able to heal.

"I haven't binged or purged or restricted in years," she told People. "And I feel very deeply and very strongly about saying I've finally recovered."

McCurdy's full Red Table Talk appearance airs Wednesday, September 7, at 12 p.m. ET.

If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, the National Eating Disorders Association offers live assistance Monday through Friday—online, or by texting or calling 800-931-2237. 24/7 support is available via the Crisis Text Line by texting NEDA to 741741.

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About the writer


Megan Cartwright is Newsweek's Deputy Entertainment Editor, based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. pop culture and entertainment ... Read more

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