LL Cool J and Simone Smith
While ladies have always loved Cool J, none have loved, cherished, and promised the rest of their lives to him like Simone Smith.
Their teenage crush has blossomed into a thirty-plus-year marriage.
The story goes that he was driving down the street Easter fresh, and she was walking on the block with one of his friends. He was smitten. In fact, eight years later she was able to hold his name.
With his beautiful smile and bright eyes, this mother of four and entrepreneur is a survivor. After being diagnosed with stage 3 chondrosarcoma in 2004, she underwent a 15-hour surgery to try and remove the cancer. She then spent two and a half years recovering from the rare bone cancer-removal procedure, even having to re-learn how to walk.
15 years later, she is cancer-free. Now she and the “5,4,3,2,1” rapper are two of the celebrity ambassadors for the Beat Cancer Like a Boss campaign. Part of beating cancer like a boss is to figure out ways to raise money for its eradication. This is why portions from proceeds from her business, Simone I. Smith Jewelry, will be donated to further this particular cancer research. Celebrity models who help to promote the line are Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union, Taraji P. Henson, Claudia Jordan, Cookie Johnson, Vivica Fox, Niecy Nash, and more.
Simone is the original “Around the Way” girl and continues to captivate … just like she did back on those cool South Jamaica streets.