Will Smith celebrates mom Caroline's 86th birthday with heartwarming pic of them embracing each other
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Will Smith celebrated his mother's 86th birthday on January 17, Tuesday. He commemorated the event by sharing a picture of himself and his mother, Caroline Bright, on Instagram as they tightly embraced one another, looking adorable with bright smiles. He wished her a happy birthday in the caption.
Each year, Will unfailingly dedicates a post to his mother as a way of expressing his gratitude. Last year the actor posted a heartwarming video of them dancing to Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" in honor of her 85th birthday. He captioned the video, “85 Today! Happy Bday, Mom-Mom. Let’s dance our way to 100.”
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Will and Caroline showcased their moves in the video by holding hands and bouncing back and forth to the beat of the song. Will's followers responded to the post by praising the actor's loving bond with his mother. One follower said, "Beautiful priceless moments." Another said the moving video reminded them of their own mother, "That's the best feeling you got me crying because my mom is my life and she's 80 she is everything to me."
Earlier, Will shared a picture of him and Caroline cuddling on May 9, 2021 for Mothers' Day. Will sweetly addressed Caroline as "Mommy" in the post and wished all mothers the best.
Will's enduring connection to his mother and grandmother
The actor's grandmother, Helen Bright, and his mom had a significant impact on him as a child. They gave him the confidence to pursue his aspirations and trust in himself. The 'Hancock' actor revealed in his biography 'Will Smith- A biography' how his mom and grandma constantly told him "God is going to make everything ok" and to keep going.
Will was devastated by Helen's untimely death in 1998. The actor recalled, "She held me in such high esteem that I never wanted to fail her. She and my mother were central in my life," as per The Blade. However, the actor's connection to his father was far less rewarding. He revealed that his father was "alcoholic" and abusive, which frequently made home life difficult for the young Smith children. When Will was 14 years old, Caroline and Willard ended the relationship after years of her enduring him.
Will's mother took care of him after the divorce and did all in her ability to provide her children the resources they needed to succeed in life. All of the Smith children quickly became accomplished pianists thanks to her encouragement to learn an instrument. Even Will's younger sibling started playing the saxophone.
Caroline made sure that all her children went to school. She was convinced education was the key to success, and saw to it that every Smith child enrolled in college. She helped Will become the man he is now and "taught him how to appreciate women." Will publicly honored his mother in 2005 at the American Music Awards for her wonderful parenting and the enduring impact she had on him. He thanked her for raising him to be a courteous, hardworking man while standing in front of his followers and coworkers.