13-year-old Willow was photographed in bed with a 20-year-old shirtless friend

May 21, 2014 10:33 GMT  ·  By
This is the photo that is causing the Smiths so much headache, now a CPS investigation
   This is the photo that is causing the Smiths so much headache, now a CPS investigation

It seems that not just the public was outraged when a 13-year-old Willow Smith was pictured with her friend, Moises Arias, 20, shirtless in a bed, popped up online. News reports today indicate that the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services is launching its own investigation into the case, according to Radar.

Willow's mother and father, Jada and Will Smith, have dismissed the incident, claiming that the black-and-white photo posted on social media held no lewd connotation, as there were other people present in the room, and the two are said to be close friends since early childhood.

“The investigation was formally opened last week and is being taken very seriously by the department,” claims an insider. “Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have been extremely cooperative with officials. Of course, they aren’t happy that their parenting skills are under scrutiny, but they understand,” it's been added.

As part of the investigation, Child Protection agents are going to want to talk with Willow on her own, as well as with the young man in the photo, to get both of their statements on record and to get a better understanding of the situation that has emerged.

The insider warns that the matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness and that this will lead to a lengthy investigation, “This won’t just be one or two visits with the family, and it will likely be an open investigation for at least a month, out of an abundance of caution.”

The photo sparked a lot of controversy when Arias posted it online. In the photo that has since been deleted from social media, Moises, who is best known for his role in “Hannah Montana,” can be seen sitting shirtless in bed with Willow, with his lower half under the bed sheets so you can't really tell what he's wearing.

Jada Smith went on the record and told reporters in a very matter-of-factly fashion, “There was nothing sexual about that picture or that situation. You guys are projecting your trash onto it. You’re acting like covert pedophiles and that’s not cool.”

While the morality of the photo is now still being debated, Jada and Will Smith have gained a reputation of being cool parents and letting their children roam as free as possible, to the point that other parents are becoming enraged and calling them out for being a bad influence on their own offspring.

Apparently, CPS seems to think that there is at least some credence to the rumor since they're willing to invest time and manpower into the incident to determine if the actor parents are indeed doing a good job of raising their brood.