Jaleel White just hit a proud dad milestone: his daughter Samaya has turned sweet 16!
On Thursday, Aug. 14, the Family Matters alum marked the big day by sharing a tribute and a series of throwback photos on Instagram.
White, who shares Samaya with ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy, posted snapshots ranging from family ski trips to birthday celebrations through the years, including a sweet father-daughter picture taken on her special day.
Jaleel began his caption of the carousel of images, “Welp…that came fast, a certain one and only daughter of mine turned 16 today.” He continued, “I thank your soul daily for choosing me to be your chief provider and protector. For all that you’ve done to raise my consciousness you owe me nothing, Sweetie. My heart is full The greatest gift you can bestow upon me from this moment on is staying mindful to become the absolute best version of YOU.”
The actor closed with a wish every parent can relate to, “I hope ur smiling from ear to ear all day long, HAPPY SWEET 16, BABYGIRL.”
White, who became a household name in the ’90s as Steve Urkel on Family Matters, has often shared how fatherhood changed his perspective. During an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show, he recalled how Samaya was first introduced to his iconic character. “My mother indoctrinated her with Urkel,” he said, smiling. “By the time she was four, she came home from a weekend with my mother just wagging the [Urkel] doll at me. My mom had just watched her through probably about 10 episodes.”
“I love being a father,” he added. “It changed me. It really did. You know how this business, it’ll jump on your mind, and it’ll really cause you to question your sense of purpose in life. When she got here, all of a sudden, the only thing I really cared about was… to take care of her at a high level.”
Photo Credit: Jaleel White Instagram
