#DorisToukieSmith 2026 jzebraa
"SUPERMODEL"
Toukie Smith, a top model in the 1970s and an actress who appeared as Eva Rawley on the Marla Gibbs-starring NBC sitcom 227, has died. She was 74.
Smith died Wednesday in a New York hospital after a “long, courageous battle” with multiple sclerosis, according to an announcement from her twins, Airyn and Julian, whom she shared with former partner Robert De Niro.
Her brother, fashion designer Willi Smith, died in 1987 at age 39 of complications from AIDS.
Smith modeled for her brother as well as for fashion designers Hubert de Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, Issey Miyake and Patrick Kelly, illustrators Alvaro and Antonio Lopez and photographers Jean-Paul Goude and Guy Bourdin, among others.
In 1989, she joined 227 as Eva, an artist who moves into the Lexington Place building whose landlord is Gibbs’ Mary Jenkins, and she recurred on the comedy during its final two seasons through May 1990. (Her character manages the building for a time.)
Doris Smith was born in Philadelphia on Sept. 25, 1952. She said her grandmother called her Toukie after listening to “a children’s record about a little red fire engine with lots of energy. I’ve always had lots of energy,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1990.
She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and began her modeling career in 1972, eventually appearing in a photo campaign for Yves St. Laurent and on the pages of such magazines as Vogue, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, Redbook and Seventeen. In 1978, Bloomingdale’s named her its model of the year.
Smith left modeling in the early ’80s and in 1987-88 appeared on three episodes of NBC’s Miami Vice as Angie, the assistant to the pop singer Caitlin Davies (Sheena Easton) — and wife of Don Johnson’s Sonny Crockett — on the show’s fourth season.
Her acting résumé also included roles in the films Talkin’ Dirty After Dark (1991), I Like It Like That (1994) and Joe’s Apartment and The Preacher’s Wife, both released in 1996.
In the ’90s, she had an eponymous restaurant on West Houston Street in New York.
She and De Niro were partners from 1988-96, and their twins were conceived by in vitro fertilization and delivered by a surrogate mother. The actor has five other children with three other women.
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Thanks for all the Laughs on 227! -XOXO jzebraa
AI Wrote
Toukie Smith, the celebrated 1970s runway model and 227 actress, passed away at the age of 74 on November 4, 2026, following a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Her passing was publicly announced by her children on November 9, 2026. [1, 2, 3]
An energetic trailblazer in both the fashion and television industries, Smith left behind a vibrant legacy as a high-profile model, comedic actress, and restaurateur. [1, 2]
🌟 Early Life & Modeling Career
Born Doris A. Smith in Philadelphia on September 25, 1952, she later adopted her stage name from a childhood nickname given by her grandmother, inspired by a high-energy fictional fire engine. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and launched a highly successful modeling career in 1972. [1, 2, 3]
- Industry Trailblazer: In 1978, she was named Bloomingdale's Model of the Year and became the second African-American model to have a mannequin designed in her likeness. [1]
- High-Fashion Collaborations: She walked the runways and shot campaigns for major design houses including Yves St. Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, and Issey Miyake. She was featured frequently in major publications like Vogue, Elle, and Ebony. [1, 2]
- Family Ties: Smith frequently modeled for her brother, the iconic fashion designer Willi Smith (founder of WilliWear Ltd.), who tragically passed away from AIDS-related complications in 1987. [1, 2]
🎬 Acting Career & Entrepreneurship
In the 1980s, Smith transitioned into acting. Her most notable roles included: [1]
- Eva Rawley on 227: She played the vibrant, artistic building manager on the hit NBC sitcom during its final two seasons (1989–1990). [1]
- On-Screen Credits: She appeared in three episodes of Miami Vice and took on roles in 1990s films such as Talkin' Dirty After Dark, Joe's Apartment, and The Preacher's Wife. [1, 2]
- Toukie's Restaurant: Capitalizing on her status as a New York "It-Girl," she successfully opened and operated an eponymous restaurant in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan during the 1990s. [1, 2]
👩👧👦 Personal Life
Smith was well-known for her long-term relationship with Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro, whom she dated from 1988 to 1996. Together, they welcomed twins in October 1995—Julian Henry and Airyn (born Aaron)—conceived via in vitro fertilization and delivered via a surrogate mother. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Though her children grew up largely outside of the Hollywood spotlight, her daughter Airyn made headlines in April 2025 when she publicly came out as a transgender woman, receiving widespread praise and love from both of her parents. [1, 2]
Would you like to know more about Toukie Smith's fashion legacy with her brother Willi, details about her time on the sitcom 227, or her filmography?
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