# Toukie Smith Bio, Age, Robert De Niro, Children, Death and Net Worth
Canonical: https://thebiographybytes.com/toukie-smith/
Published: 2026-11-10T11:43:28+00:00
Updated: 2026-11-10T11:43:30+00:00
## Who is Toukie Smith? \| Biography
Toukie Smith was an **[American model]()**, **[actress]()**, and **[businesswoman]()** known for her fashion career and the sitcom *227*. Born Doris A. Smith in Philadelphia on September 25, 1952, she became a prominent runway and editorial model during the 1970s. She later appeared in television and films while operating food-related businesses in New York. Smith died on November 4, 2026, at age 74. Her twins, Airyn and Julian De Niro, confirmed her death in a statement released on November 9.
Smith grew up in Philadelphia and was the sister of fashion designer Willi Smith, whose innovative clothing label helped establish accessible American streetwear. She attended New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and began modeling in 1972. She worked for designers including Givenchy, Issey Miyake, and Thierry Mugler and appeared in major fashion magazines. Bloomingdale's honored her as a model of the year in 1978. Her industry success came during an era when Black models pushed for wider recognition in prestigious fashion spaces.
After building a career on the runway, Smith moved into acting. She appeared on *Miami Vice* in the late 1980s before becoming Eva Rawley on NBC's *227*. The series portrayed the lives of residents in a Washington, D.C., apartment building. She also earned film credits including *Talkin' Dirty After Dark*, *I Like It Like That*, *Joe's Apartment*, and *The Preacher's Wife*.
Smith had a relationship with actor Robert De Niro from 1988 to 1996. They welcomed twins in 1995 through a surrogate. Outside entertainment, she ran a catering business and briefly owned a Manhattan restaurant, Toukie's. The family's statement described her long battle with multiple sclerosis, while avoiding a detailed public medical history.
## Toukie Smith Age \| How Old Was Toukie Smith?
Toukie Smith was **74 years old when she died** on November 4, 2026. She was born on September 25, 1952, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her first modeling work began in 1972, when she was about 19 or 20. By 1978, she had gained major retail recognition, and she began her screen professional career in the following decade. She became widely recognized through *227* in the late 1980s. In 1995, she welcomed twins with Robert De Niro. Her entertainment and business activities extended across several decades. Smith died five weeks after her seventy-fourth birthday, leaving a notable legacy in fashion and television.
## Toukie Smith Height \| How Tall Was Toukie Smith?
Toukie Smith's exact height is not established by a reliable archived agency measurement in the material reviewed. Her extensive modeling career makes height relevant to fashion history, but published photographs cannot supply a verified number. A runway model's stature can appear different depending on footwear, posture, camera angles, and garment design. In Smith's case, credible obituaries document designers, magazines, television roles, and awards more thoroughly than physical measurements. Without a trustworthy model card or direct professional listing, a precise figure in feet, inches, or centimeters would be speculative. Her career achievements remain well documented without assigning her an unsupported measurement.
## Toukie Smith Ethnicity \| What Was Toukie Smith's Ethnicity?
Toukie Smith was an **African American model** and actress whose career contributed to Black representation in fashion. Family tributes recognized her work alongside Black models and designers who broadened opportunities in the industry. Her brother Willi Smith became an influential figure in American fashion. These public descriptions provide cultural and professional context, although they do not establish every detail of Smith's ancestry. She was born in Philadelphia and worked extensively in New York, giving her story a clear American setting. Her identity, modeling achievements, and family contributions deserve attention without inventing more ethnic or genealogical claims beyond the documented record.
## Toukie Smith Education \| Fashion Institute of Technology
Smith attended the **Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City** before establishing her modeling career. The institution's fashion-oriented environment connected naturally with the industry she entered in 1972. Her training and early professional opportunities supported work with established designers and magazines. Accounts of her career also identify her brother Willi Smith as an important creative influence. She modeled clothing associated with his label before developing a wider international profile. Her educational background should be reported carefully: the reviewed obituaries establish her attendance and describe her as an alumna, but they do not require inventing an additional degree, specialist certification, or course completion date.
## Toukie Smith Husband \| Was She Married to Robert De Niro?
Toukie Smith was **not married to Robert De Niro**. They were romantic partners for eight years, from 1988 to 1996 and became parents to twins in 1995. Their relationship attracted public interest because De Niro was already a major Hollywood actor. However, Smith maintained a strong commitment to personal privacy and avoided reducing her public identity to the relationship. She had an independent professional career as a model and actress before the couple met. Her death prompted renewed coverage of their years together, but it did not change the fundamental distinction between being a former partner and being a former spouse.
## Toukie Smith Children \| Airyn and Julian De Niro
Toukie Smith had **two children**, twins **Airyn and Julian De Niro**, born in 1995. Their father is actor Robert De Niro. The children were born through a surrogate, a detail publicly reported publicly during the 1990s. Both confirmed their mother's death in November 2026 and shared their admiration for her. Their statement emphasized her influence on family and culture. These are adult children, but their status does not justify speculation about every aspect of their personal lives. The most relevant independently documented details are their relationship to Smith, their shared family history, and their direct role in announcing her passing.
## Toukie Smith Family \| Willi Smith and Philadelphia Roots
Toukie Smith was born Doris A. Smith in Philadelphia. Her brother **Willi Smith** became an influential fashion designer whose WilliWear label popularized accessible streetwear. He died in 1987. Another surviving brother, Norman Smith-Harllee, was identified in reporting surrounding Toukie's death. Her grandmother gave her the nickname Toukie, inspired by a children's record about an energetic little fire engine. Smith later used that name professionally. Her brother helped shape American streetwear. Her family history combined ordinary working-class Philadelphia roots with major creative achievements. Her children Airyn and Julian also described her legacy in connection with her brother's contribution to American fashion.
## Toukie Smith Career \| Runway Model to Television Actress
Smith entered professional modeling in 1972 after attending the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her career included work for major designers such as Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, Issey Miyake, and Chanel. She appeared in fashion publications including *Vogue*, *Ebony*, and *Cosmopolitan*. Bloomingdale's recognized her as a model of the year in 1978. She also wore clothing created by her brother Willi Smith, connecting family creativity with her growing international reputation. Her work helped broaden visibility for Black models in major fashion settings.
She began acting in the late 1980s with appearances on *Miami Vice*. She played Eva Rawley on *227* during its later seasons, then appeared in films including *Talkin' Dirty After Dark*, *I Like It Like That*, *Joe's Apartment*, and *The Preacher's Wife*. Smith also established a catering venture and opened a Manhattan restaurant. These activities demonstrate a career that included fashion, scripted entertainment, and hospitality, rather than one limited to celebrity relationships.
## Toukie Smith Movies and TV Shows \| 227 and Miami Vice
Smith's best-known television role was Eva Rawley on NBC's *227*. Her character entered a comedy centered on a middle-class Black family and residents of the same apartment building. Eva was an artist who became involved in the building's day-to-day life. Smith's appearances coincided with the show's final seasons, making the role an important late-1980s television credit.
She also appeared on *Miami Vice*, bringing her into a very different screen world. Her film work included the comedy *Talkin' Dirty After Dark*, the family drama *I Like It Like That*, the unusual musical comedy *Joe's Apartment*, and *The Preacher's Wife*. These roles did not generate a single blockbuster franchise, but they show a consistent attempt to establish herself as an actress. Her work on the runway remained part of her public recognition throughout the transition.
## Toukie Smith Death \| What Did Her Children Announce?
Toukie Smith died at age 74 on November 4, 2026, in a New York hospital. Her children, Airyn and Julian De Niro, confirmed the news on November 9. In their statement, they described a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Their account supplied important context about her health, but it should not be expanded into an invented timeline of diagnoses or treatments. The family also emphasized her influence on both fashion and those close to her.
Coverage of Smith's death recalled her roles on *227* and *Miami Vice*, her modeling career, and her relationship with Robert De Niro. It also highlighted her late brother Willi's impact on streetwear. Smith's professional accomplishments predated her relationship with De Niro and included achievements recognized by the fashion industry. The confirmed news is her death and family tribute, not additional claims about an undisclosed medical event. The family's statement focused on grief and remembrance rather than publishing an exhaustive account of medical treatment.
## Toukie Smith Salary \| Modeling and Acting Earnings
Toukie Smith's annual salary was not established through a public employment contract or verified financial statement. Models are often paid per assignment, campaign, appearance, or agency agreement, while actors may earn fees negotiated for individual productions. The presence of major designer names on her résumé does not reveal the amounts paid. Smith also ran a catering business and a restaurant, but business revenue cannot be assumed to represent personal income. Her historical earnings would require contracts, tax documents, or other reliable records. Without that evidence, a precise yearly salary would be an invented figure rather than a trustworthy part of her biography.
## Toukie Smith Net Worth
Toukie Smith's **personal net worth was not independently verified** at her death. Some celebrity-finance websites publish multi-million-dollar estimates, but they do not provide a complete accounting of her assets and liabilities. Her diverse career generated income from modeling, acting, catering, and restaurant operations. However, gross revenue from an enterprise differs from its owner's final earnings. Historic modeling fees and old television appearances cannot be converted into wealth without understanding contracts and expenses. Robert De Niro's financial position also cannot be treated as Smith's personal fortune. A dependable net-worth figure would require direct financial records or authoritative independently audited estate documentation.
## Frequently Asked Questions About Toukie Smith
### How did Toukie Smith die?
Her children said she died after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Smith died on November 4, 2026, in a New York hospital, and the family confirmed the news on November 9.
### Was Toukie Smith Robert De Niro's wife?
No. They were partners from 1988 to 1996 but did not marry. They welcomed twins together in 1995.
### Who are Toukie Smith's children?
Her twins are Airyn and Julian De Niro, born in 1995. Both confirmed their mother's death and shared tributes to her.
### What role did Toukie Smith play on 227?
She played Eva Rawley, an artist living in the central apartment building. The character appeared during the show's later seasons.
### Who was Toukie Smith's brother?
Her brother was Willi Smith, the influential designer behind WilliWear. He helped popularize a distinctive, accessible approach to American fashion before his death in 1987.
## Biography Summary Table
| Category | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Birth name | Doris A. Smith |
| Professional name | Toukie Smith |
| Profession | Model, actress, businesswoman |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | September 25, 1952 |
| Died | November 4, 2026 |
| Age at death | 74 |
| Birthplace | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Height | Not reliably verified |
| Ethnicity | African American |
| Education | Fashion Institute of Technology |
| Fashion recognition | Bloomingdale's model honor, 1978 |
| Brother | Willi Smith |
| Former partner | Robert De Niro |
| Married to De Niro? | No |
| Children | Airyn and Julian De Niro |
| Famous television role | Eva Rawley on *227* |
| Film credits | *Joe's Apartment*, *The Preacher's Wife* |
| Health detail | Family described multiple sclerosis battle |
| Salary | Not publicly disclosed |
| Net worth | Not independently established |