Ne-Yo and Monyetta Shaw-Carter are celebrating a major milestone as their daughter, Madilyn Grace Smith, turns 16 today, November 12.
Both parents marked the occasion with touching Instagram tributes for their not-so-little girl.
Ne-Yo shared a current photo of Madilyn and reflected on how quickly she has grown up.
“I don’t even know how to feel right now. I’m so proud of the young woman you’re becoming….but I hate it at the same time because that means my little girl is slowly fading away,” he began.
“And as excited as I am to go on the adventure of life with this beautiful young woman, I will always look at you and miss the little girl you once were. Just a Dad thing I guess,” he continued.
The singer closed his tribute with a heartfelt message to his daughter.
“One of the greatest blessings ever bestowed upon me is the opportunity to be your dad. I LOVE YOU MADI MUU,” he wrote.
Shaw-Carter was just as emotional about her firstborn turning 16.
“SWEET 16!!! WOW!!! Somebody pinch me!!! How in the world is my baby girl SIXTEEN already?!?” she wrote.
In a longer message addressed directly to Madilyn, the proud mom praised her daughter’s intelligence, sense of humor, kindness and confidence, especially her ability to stay true to herself.
“I absolutely love and admire how you are already unapologetically you… your grace, your heart, your ability to read the room & really SEE people,” Shaw-Carter wrote.
She also shared her hopes for Madilyn’s future.
“My prayer is that you always know your worth, walk boldly in your purpose, keep God first, and NEVER dim your light for anyone!” she wrote.
The proud mom also teased a birthday celebration called “MADI’S UNIVERSE” scheduled for this weekend.
Madilyn is the eldest of Ne-Yo’s seven children. She and her younger brother, Mason Evan, who turned 15 in October, are the singer’s two children with Shaw-Carter.
Ne-Yo also shares three children, Shaffer Chimere Jr., Roman Alexander-Raj and Isabella Rose, with his ex-wife, Crystal Renay. He has two younger sons, Braiden and Brixton, with Sade Jenea Bagnerise.
