The Truth About Jaden Smith's Relationship With His Older Brother Trey

When it come's to Will Smith's offspring, much of the spotlight has been reserved for Jaden Smith and Willow Smith, the children he had with wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Over the years, Will's two youngest children have cultivated successful Hollywood careers. Although Jaden Smith also raps, he's mostly found success within the acting world since his 2006 debut in "The Pursuit of Happyness," alongside his famous father, per Biography.com. Meanwhile, Willow Smith starred with Will in 2007's "I Am Legend," but has since pivoted into music, modeling, and talk-show hosting with mom Jada on "Red Table Talk," per IMDb. 

However, Will has one other son. Trey Smith was a produce of Will's first marriage to "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star, Sheree Zampino. Unlike his little brother and sister, Trey has largely shied away from the spotlight, instead choosing to focus on his career as a DJ (although he did dabble in acting as a child, per Cheatsheet). And though the public sometimes forgets about Trey, his family sure hasn't — especially his little brother Jaden, with whom he shares a special bond. 

When Jaden Smith was 11 years old, he appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman" to promote "The Karate Kid." During the segment, Jaden gave the scoop on his various family bonds, and he had nothing but nice things to say about big brother Trey. "Yeah, [Trey's] very cool. Me and him are very close," Jaden shared. 

Although Jaden's Letterman interview was over a decade ago, it appears that the brothers are as close as ever. While much of Jaden's social media presence is dedicated to his professional endeavors, Trey uses his Instagram account as a public shrine to his family. Over the years, the eldest Smith child has made several posts showcasing how he feels about his little brother, Jaden, but his 2019 birthday tribute is especially sentimental. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BROTHER!!! I LOVE MY GUY BEYOND LIFE!!!! 21 IS HERE!! I Am Far Too Proudness Of You. You Deserve Everything In Life. Your Heart & Spirit Are Far Too Resplendent," wrote Trey.

In 2021, Trey and Jaden made a surprise appearance on "Red Table Talk" and wished Jada a happy 50th birthday. While Jada was going down memory about pivotal friendships in her past, Trey and Jaden snuck in behind her (much to the delight of Jada's mom Adrienne-Banfield Norris). Once Jada noticed her son and step-son, she screamed with glee and pulled them in for a sweet embrace. "Oh, ma, happy birthday," said Jaden, per People.

Like many children of divorced parents, Trey Smith had a tough time after Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith met and married. In 2018, Will shared a video montage of he and Trey that gave his Instagram followers a deeper insight into their relationship. "It has not always been like this between Trey & I," Will wrote via Instagram. "We STRUGGLED FOR YEARS after my Divorce from his Mother. He felt betrayed & abandoned. It is a Wild Blessing to recover & restore a Loving Relationship with My Beautiful Son!" 

Thankfully, Trey's abandonment issues don't seem to have negatively impacted the affection he feels for Jaden Smith. "When Jaden was born, we tried to make sure that Trey was involved every step of the way," Will shared in his memoir (via Cheatsheet). "The psychologist suggested that we allow Trey — who was six at the time — to be part of naming the new baby." According to The "Independence Day" actor, the psychologist advised that, by allowing Trey to be apart of the naming process, "he would think of the new child as his brother. The choosing of the name would create a sense of ownership and connection." And while Trey first suggested Luigi, after his favorite video game, he eventually settled on Christopher, which became one of Jaden's middle names.