Will Smith Is Moved To Tears As He Recounts The 'Terrifying' Birth Of His Son Trey
Hollywood star Will Smith has opened up about the harrowing birth of his son Trey that left him "shook to his core."
Will Smith has opened up about the harrowing birth of his son Trey that left him "shook to his core."
He also recounted how he put himself under pressure to be a good father to Trey after being exposed to violence and a complicated relationship with his own father.
Although Will Smith secretly separated from his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, they're not officially heading for divorce, which relationship expert Kate Mansfield said allows them to "maintain their family unit and continue their co-parenting efforts."
Will Smith Shares 'Terrifying' Birth Experience Of His Son
The "Bad Boys" franchise star was hosted by the Grammy Museum on Thursday night in New York for "an evening discussing his upcoming music, creative process, and legendary career," where he also performed some of his songs.
Taking to the stage to perform his 1997 song "Just the Two of Us," Will gave a shout-out to his eldest son, Willard Carroll "Trey" Smith III, whom he shares with his first wife, Sheree Zampino.
Will explained to the audience that the song was inspired by Trey, now 31 years old, as his "terrifying" birth at the time left him "shook to his core," per People Magazine.
"[I wrote that song during] probably one of the most terrifying times of my life," he said. "It's when my son Trey was born. I cannot tell you what it was like bringing that child home on that first night and realizing that he was my responsibility."
Will added, "Parenting was one of the first things, the first real things in my life that really shook me to my core."
The Actor Made A 'Promisee' To Be A 'Good Dad' To Trey
The actor-musician went on to explain that his complicated relationship with his father, Willard Carroll Smith Sr., propelled him to put himself under so much pressure to be a good dad to Trey.
"I remember that first night. I can't even talk about it," he continued, visibly moved to tears. "I had talked so crazy about my father and all the stuff my father didn't do. And then I was like, 'Oh no, it is my turn now.'"
He then went on to disclose that he made a "promise" to Trey to do "everything he could to be a good dad."
"I just fell down on my knees and I made one of the most hardcore promises ever made to a human being - that I was going to do everything I could do to be a good daddy to you," Will shared, addressing Trey, who was in the audience.
He added, "He's cool now, thank God – he's going to be 32 this year."
Will Smith Is Focused On His Family Despite Marital Troubles
The "Suicide Squad" actor is reportedly focused on ensuring his family doesn't fall apart despite separating from his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, in 2016.
According to the Daily Mail, Jada made the revelation last October in an appearance on "The Today Show" with Hoda Kotb, telling her that they made the decision after feeling "exhausted with trying" to work on their marriage.
"I think we were both still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be," she explained about the cause of their split.
In her bestselling memoir, "Worthy," she described the separation as a "divorce" but clarified that they didn't officially file for it in court, noting that it wasn't a "divorce on paper."
Why The Couple Decided To Remain Legally Married
Relationship expert Kate Mansfield told the news outlet that their effort to stay legally married despite having separated showed that they were focused on keeping the stability of their family.
"Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have publicly discussed their unconventional approach to marriage, emphasizing a deep emotional bond despite their separation," Mansfield said. "Their choice to remain married allows them to maintain their family unit and continue their co-parenting efforts."
"It also reflects their commitment to personal growth and healing, as they openly explore their individual journeys while still supporting one another," the relationship expert added.
The couple shares a son, Jaden, and a daughter, Willow.
Will Smith's Troubled Relationship With His Dad
Meanwhile, Will has been open about the complicated relationship he had with his father, even disclosing that he once thought of killing him as retribution for the "decades of pain, anger, and resentment" he had caused.
In his memoir, "Will," the actor opened up about his "violent" and "alcoholic" father, adding that he would often hit his mom.
"My father was violent, but he was also at every game, play, and recital," he wrote, per the Daily Mail. "He was an alcoholic, but he was sober at every premiere of every one of my movies."
Will added, "He listened to every record. He visited every studio. The same intense perfectionism that terrorized his family put food on the table every night of my life."
