How Jada Pinkett Smith Referred To Trey Smith On His Birthday

Being a step-parent can be one of the toughest jobs in the world, especially when many people believe you will never be as great as the child's biological parent. But once the step-parent finds that bond with their step-child, there is nothing that can get between their love and care for one another.

Take, for instance, NFL player Russell Wilson, who married to international superstar Ciara, and became the stepfather to Future Zahir Wilburn, rapper Future's son. Instead of running away from his responsibilities, or harboring hate towards baby Future because of his problematic father, Wilson embraced his new parental role wholeheartedly. ""Being a stepdad ... has taught me, really, what love is like, what life is really like, [and] how God intends us to love," Wilson said in a "Good Morning America" interview in June 2020. "One of the greatest gifts in the world is children."

Jada Pinkett Smith also became a step-parent when she got married to Will Smith on December 31, 1997. Will's oldest son, Trey, was about 5 years old, and Jada wanted to actively play a role in his life — even if Trey's mom wasn't too happy about it, per Today. It is now 24 years since Will and Jada got married, and Trey just celebrated another year around the sun. Jada could not be more excited, and gave Trey the cutest nickname to celebrate his birthday.

Will Smith's oldest son, Trey Smith, celebrated his birthday on November 11, and Jada Pinkett Smith posted a heartfelt message to her stepson, or her "bonus son" as she calls it, on Instagram. "Happy Birthday Trey!!! I am so glad you were born. You have been an enormous gift to so many of us. Thank you for being a wonderful bonus son and an even more wonderful friend," Jada said. "Thank you for loving me. I adore you."

This is not the first time Jada has referred to Trey as her "bonus child." Jada talked to Mercury News about how strong her bond is with Trey, and how trust was a huge factor in their relationship. "It's great when you can have a close relationship to a child that doesn't necessarily see you as an immediate parent, but has trust in you," Jada said. "Sometimes it's communication that a parent can have with a bonus child. That's difficult for parents to have with their children ... There's a different kind of closeness. So Trey is, like, my buddy."

Jada and Trey's relationship was not always like this — especially when Will and his ex-wife, Trey's mother, Sheree Zampino, were getting a divorce. Jada wanted to be more involved with parenting Trey, which pushed Zampino a bit too far. "The beginning between us was rough, and here's one thing I will say in hindsight," Jada told Zampino on "Red Table Talk." "Because I did not understand marriage, I didn't understand divorce. I will say that I probably should have fell back."