Toukie Smith, model and mother of Robert De Niro's twins, dies at 74
Toukie Smith, the model named Bloomingdale's model of the year in 1978 who later played Eva Rawley on NBC's "227," died Nov. 4 in a New York hospital. She was 74.
Her twins with Robert De Niro, Airyn and Julian De Niro, confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. They said she died after a "long, courageous battle" with multiple sclerosis.
The twins said their mother's "beauty, grace and unmistakable presence helped pave the way for generations of Black models and designers in fashion." Smith's brother was Willi Smith, the designer who founded WilliWear, and she was his muse.
"Toukie was a force of nature. She left an indelible mark on our hearts and on everyone lucky enough to know her," Airyn and Julian said.
Smith was born Doris Smith on Sept. 25, 1952, in Philadelphia. Her grandmother called her Toukie after hearing a children's record about an energetic little red fire engine.
"I've always had lots of energy," Smith told the Los Angeles Times in 1990.
She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and started her modeling career in 1972.
Modeling and acting
Smith worked for designers Hubert de Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, Issey Miyake and Patrick Kelly. Her modeling work also brought her to illustrators Alvaro and Antonio Lopez and photographers Jean-Paul Goude and Guy Bourdin.
She appeared in a Yves Saint Laurent photo campaign, as well as in the pages of Vogue, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, Redbook and Seventeen. Bloomingdale's chose her as its model of the year in 1978.
Smith modeled for her brother Willi, too. He died of complications from AIDS in 1987 at 39.
By that point, Smith had left modeling to pursue acting, making the change in the early 1980s. "I am an actress first. I'm not a sometime model," she told The New York Times in 1992, E! News reported.
Smith played Angie in three episodes of NBC's "Miami Vice" in 1987 and 1988. Her character assisted pop singer Caitlin Davies, who was played by Sheena Easton.
In 1989, Smith joined Marla Gibbs on the NBC sitcom "227," taking the role of Eva Rawley. Eva, an artist, moves into the building where Gibbs' character Mary Jenkins is landlord and manages it for a time.
Smith appeared on the series during its final two seasons, which ran through May 1990.
Her film credits included "Talkin' Dirty After Dark" (1991) and "I Like It Like That" (1994). She also appeared in "Joe's Apartment" and "The Preacher's Wife," both released in 1996.
Outside acting, Smith had a restaurant bearing her name on West Houston Street in New York during the 1990s.
Family and tributes
Smith and De Niro were partners from 1988 to 1996. Their twins were conceived by in vitro fertilization and born via a surrogate in 1995.
Smith raised Airyn and Julian largely away from public view. De Niro, 83, has five other children with three other women.
Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, as cited by USA Today, the immune system damages the myelin sheath around nerve fibers, disrupting communication between the brain and body. The clinic says there is no cure, though treatments can help manage symptoms.
It was not immediately known when Smith was diagnosed.
In an April 2025 interview with Them, Airyn De Niro came out as a transgender woman. She credited Black women in her life, including her mother, with shaping her identity.
Following the announcement of Smith's death, Airyn wrote on Instagram, "I'll always love you, Mom 🩷."
A post shared by Airyn De Niro (@airyphim) on Instagram
In their statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Airyn and Julian said their mother "shared in a remarkable family legacy that helped shape American fashion and culture."
