Toukie Smith, the former model and television actress who shared twin children with Hollywood legend Robert De Niro, has died at 74 following a lengthy battle with multiple sclerosis.
Smith died Wednesday, November 4, at a New York hospital, according to her children, Airyn and Julian De Niro, who confirmed the heartbreaking news on Monday.
The twins described their mother’s illness as a “long, courageous battle” in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, bringing attention to a health struggle she had largely kept out of the public spotlight.
Airyn also paid tribute to her mother on social media, sharing a photograph of them together alongside the emotional message, “I’ll always love you, Mom.”
Long before her relationship with the Oscar-winning actor made headlines, Smith had established herself as a successful fashion model and rising television personality.
Born Doris Smith in Philadelphia in 1952, she began modeling in 1972 and quickly attracted attention from some of the biggest names in fashion. She worked with legendary designers including Hubert de Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, Yves Saint Laurent and Issey Miyake.
Her photographs appeared in major magazines such as Vogue, Ebony and Cosmopolitan, and she was named Bloomingdale’s Model of the Year in 1978.
Smith also worked closely with her older brother, influential fashion designer Willi Smith, who founded the popular WilliWear clothing label. He died in 1987 at just 39 years old from complications related to AIDS.
By the late 1980s, Smith had transitioned into acting, appearing on the hit crime drama Miami Vice before landing her best-known television role as Eva Rawley on NBC’s beloved sitcom 227.
The comedy, which starred Marla Gibbs and featured a young Regina King, followed the lives of residents living in a Washington, D.C., apartment building. Smith joined the series in 1989 and became a regular cast member during its final season.
She later appeared in several films, including Talkin’ Dirty After Dark, I Like It Like That and The Preacher’s Wife.
Away from the spotlight, Smith began dating De Niro in 1988. Their relationship lasted until 1996, and the couple welcomed twins, Airyn and Julian, through a surrogate in October 1995.
Despite De Niro’s enormous Hollywood fame, Smith preferred to keep much of their relationship private. In a 1990 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she explained her approach to celebrity life, saying, “What’s great about a private life is it’s private.”
Beyond acting and modeling, Smith pursued her passion for food and hospitality, opening a restaurant bearing her name in New York City.
Her death marks the loss of a woman whose career spanned fashion runways, popular television shows and Hollywood films. Although many knew her as De Niro’s former partner, Smith had built an accomplished career of her own long before their romance.
She is survived by her twin children, Airyn and Julian.