Jada Smith reacts to scandal surrounding photo of daughter Willow

Singer Willow Smith arrives for the premiere of the film "After Earth" in New York May 29, 2013. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT PROFILE) - RTX105K7

Jada Smith is hopping mad about a photo her 13-year-old daughter took in bed with a 20-year-old actor.

But she's not mad at Willow -- she's mad at the press.

"Here's the deal: There was nothing sexual about that picture or that situation," Smith told TMZ after getting off a flight in Los Angeles. "You guys are projecting your trash onto it, and you're acting like covert pedophiles, and that's not cool."

The pic of Willow, the daughter of Will and Jada Smith, in bed with former “Hannah Montana” actor Moisés Arias ignited a wave of controversy. The photo shows Smith lying (clothed) on a bed while a shirtless Arias sits holding a pillow with his back against the wall.

Page Six reported that Arias posted it on his Instagram account then removed it due to backlash on Twitter.

Smith and Arias have known each other for some time. Arias directed the music video for Willow’s older brother Jaden’s single “Hello” – in which she made a cameo appearance – and they’ve been spotted hanging out several times since then.

Last October, Kendall and Kylie Jenner joined the Smith siblings and the Arias brothers – Moisés and Mateo – for lunch at sushi restaurant Sugarfish in Calabasas.

And just this past Thursday, Willow and Moisés were photographed lunching with singer Telana Nicole at French chain cafe Le Pain Quotidien in Calabasas, Calif.

Representatives for Willow and Moisés, as well as Will and Jada, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

This isn’t the first time concerns over age appropriateness have come up around the young star. Last summer, the then 12-year-old raised eyebrows with the release of her song “Summer Fling,” which contained lyrics such as “the bright sun and the blue water, we fight less and love harder,” as well as “we walk the beach at midnight, and watch the stars in the clear skies. We both say I love you, but it’s alright… If you wanna talk I guess that’s alright, if you wanna walk under the night sky, I don’t really care cause we got tonight, oh baby…”

The accompanying music video added to the controversy, given that Willow starred alongside a seemingly much older male love interest.

But according to an interview last year with Metro, her famous folks don’t punish their kids.

"We [Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith] don't do punishment…The way that we deal with our kids is, they are responsible for their lives. Our concept is, as young as possible, give them as much control over their lives as possible and the concept of punishment, our experience has been—it has a little too much of a negative quality,” he said. "So when they do things—and you know, Jaden, he's done things—you can do anything you want as long as you can explain to me why that was the right thing to do for your life."

-- FOX411's Hollie McKay contributed to this report.