Simone South is the wife of James Todd Smith popularly known as LL Cool J. He is a hip-hop artist, record producer, and actor. Recently, he served as a co-host for the MTV Video Music Awards 2022 along with Jack Harlow and Nicki Minaj.
LL Cool J has been married to his wife Simone South for more than 25 years now. Keep scrolling further to learn everything about Simone, the wife of the I Need a Beat singer James Todd Smith.
Simone is a cancer survivor
Yes, you read that right. LL Cool J’s wife Simone was diagnosed with stage 3 chondrosarcoma after a knot in her leg was discovered in the year 2004. Back in the day, she had to undergo a 12-hour long surgery and after that, she had to learn to walk again over the course of the next two years.
At that time, during an interaction with Entertainment Tonight, Simone said, “I was working out with my trainer, walking, talking, not paying no mind, walked into the waste basket and it hit that little knot. That sent me to the doctor, and that’s when I found out I had a chondrosarcoma stage three tumor in my right tibia bone.”
South went on to say, “It was a two and a half year recovery, where I had to learn to walk again. I went from a wheelchair to two crutches, to one crutch to a cane. In that moment there, I was devastated. I’m not going to get emotional!”
Simone’s husband LL Cool J was there by her side throughout her cancer journey. At that point in time, he told Oprah Winfrey about his wife’s cancer journey and said, “You don’t abandon someone in that fox hole. You gotta be there in that fox hole with them.” And now, these two help others fighting the disease as supporters of the “Beat Cancer Like a Boss” campaign.
Rihanna and Beyoncé are fans of Simone’s jewelry line
Simone kickstarted her jewelry line after beating cancer. She joined hands with her close pal Mary J Blige to create the jewelry line Sister Love and soon afterward, she launched a separate line for Walmart called “Simone I. Smith for Walmart”.
In the past, both the Break My Soul singer Beyoncé and the Love The Way You Lie crooner Rihanna have been the clients of Simone South.
When did Simone South meet LL Cool J?
Simone and LL Cool J’s relationship is one of the longest romances in Hollywood. During an interview with Jimmy Kimmel in 2012, the hip-hop artist recalled the first time, the two of them met. The duo first crossed paths when they were teenagers in the year 1987.
The NCIS: Los Angeles star told the host of the show, Jimmy Kimmel, “I was just 19, something like that. It was Easter and I was driving down the block in my mother’s car.” He went on to say that he stopped his car, to have a chat with a buddy and his friend asked him if he wanted to meet his cousin, Simone.
At that point, LL Cool J thought it was a cool idea, but then he caught a glimpse of Simone. He further added, “I looked over and said ‘Oh yeah, I’ll meet your cousin.’”
Simone and LL Cool J got married in 1995
Simone and James made their romance official nearly after 8 years of dating and the two lovebirds tied the knot on August 8, 1995. We know you might be wondering what’s the reason behind their everlasting union.
In an earlier interview with Oprah Winfrey, Simone said, “Putting God first, we both come from a spiritual background. And compromise, a lot of compromise. Picking your battles; respecting each other.”
How many kids do LL Cool J and Simone have?
LL Cool J and his wife Simone South share a total of four kids. The pair welcomed their first child, a son named Najee Laurent Todd Eugene Smith in the year 1989. Their adorable brood also includes daughters Italia Anita Maria Smith, Samaria Leah Wisdom Smith, and Nina Simone Smith.
Their eldest child Najee has stayed out of the spotlight for most of his life. Najee is pretty active on the social media platform Instagram. It seems like he is a photographer by profession. His Instagram page is filled with some special moments from his life. Fans think that he has a striking resemblance to his dad.
When we talk about, Simone and LL Cool J’s second child, daughter Italia Anita Maria Smith, just like her elder brother Najee, she has opted to stay out of the limelight. She is a licensed real estate agent and she earned a degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University. She married Lamar Cardinez in 2017 and the pair has two children.
Simone and LL Cool J’s third child, Samaria was born in 1997 and she is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology. She started her own denim brand in the year 2019 and she sells a wide range of styles of the popular clothing choice on her brand website. Apart from this, she is also a social media influencer. She is often spotted talking about beauty and wellness at events.
Nina is the fourth child of LL Cool J and Simone. She was born in the year 2000 and just like her father she is involved in the music industry. She is a singer and her stage name is Nina-Symone. She dropped her debut single Call Me on her Instagram page in 2019. The song received good feedback from all ends. She also has a YouTube page where she posts vlogs regularly.
In a media interaction, LL Cool J talked about his experience of being a dad. He said, “I just try to lead by example, encourage them [and] make sure they can do anything they put their minds to. I’ve always been really trying to teach them to believe in themselves and not be limited.”
We must say Simone South and LL Cool J are each other’s soulmate. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.
