Their mother’s private struggle has become a heartbreaking farewell. Toukie Smith’s children have shared a tribute that reaches beyond her years in fashion and television, revealing the illness she faced away from public view. Behind the photographs and famous connections, their words tell a story of fierce love, lasting influence, and a loss that leaves a family’s world brok… Continues…

Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith circa 1990 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Platzer/IMAGES/Getty Images)

Airyn and Julian, Toukie Smith’s twins with Robert De Niro, announced that their mother died at 74 on November 4 at a New York hospital. In their statement, they described her experience with multiple sclerosis as a “long, courageous battle” and remembered her as a “force of nature.” The model and 227 actress had largely protected her family life from public attention, raising her children away from the spotlight despite their parents’ fame.

Their remembrance also celebrated a career that helped open doors for Black models and designers. As the sister of late designer Willi Smith, Toukie belonged to a family whose creativity helped shape American fashion. Yet the most intimate farewell came from Airyn, who shared a childhood photograph with her mother and wrote, “I’ll always love you, Mom.” Beyond the runway and television screen, her children’s words honored the warmth and presence they would carry with them.