Will Smith shares special tribute to son Trey as he reflects on ‘transformational journey’

Will Smith took a moment to honor his eldest child, Trey, with a heartfelt birthday tribute that left fans touched and inspired. The King Richard star, 56, celebrated Trey’s 32nd birthday on Monday, Nov. 11, with a touching Instagram post that showcased the duo’s close bond over the years. 

“Happy Birthday, T-Ball!” Will captioned the post, which featured a nostalgic slideshow of three photos. The first was a throwback snap of a young Trey grinning on his dad’s lap, while the two more recent pictures showed the father-son pair spending quality time together.

“Our relationship has been a transformative journey of love,” Will continued in his post. “You are one of the finest teachers I’ve ever had.”

He added, “I love being your Daddy!” Fans and friends were quick to join in the celebration, with Bad Boys co-star Martin Lawrence sharing his well wishes in the comments.

Trey, born Willard Carroll ‘Trey’ Smith III, is Will’s son from his first marriage to Sheree Zampino. Will and Sheree were married for three years before their split, just two years after Trey was born. 

Reflecting on the challenges of navigating fatherhood and divorce, Will once revealed on an episode of Red Table Talk how deeply the experience had affected him. 

“I’ve been hurt a lot in my adult life, but I don’t think anything touches the failure of getting divorced from my 2-year-old son’s mother,” he told host and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, their daughter Willow, and Jada’s mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris.

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Though Will admitted to feeling ‘absent’ during some of Trey’s early years, he spoke openly about the turning point that brought them closer. 

“As soon as Trey was ready, he came looking for his father,” he said, describing their reconnection as a profound moment in their relationship. Today, Will’s bond with Trey is as solid as ever, and he often takes to social media to celebrate his son, affectionately calling him ‘T-Ball’.

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Like his siblings, Willow and Jaden, Trey has ventured into music and acting, even making an early appearance in Will’s music video for Just the Two of Us when he was just five years old. 

Will has fondly celebrated many birthdays with Trey over the years. In a memorable post from 2020, Will shared a throwback photo of Trey standing on a chair next to him, writing, “One of my favorite people on Earth.”