Celebrity Couples
Who Is LL Cool J’s Wife? Inside His 30-Year Marriage to Simone Smith
LL Cool J will be in the spotlight when he hosts the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 7. The rapper previously hosted the show in 2022 alongside Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow.
When he’s not on stage, LL Cool J is likely spending time with his wife of 30 years, Simone Smith. The two tied the knot on August 7, 1995, and have been going strong ever since. Scroll down to learn more about Smith, the couple’s family, and more.
How did LL Cool J meet his wife?
The two met in 1987 when the rapper was just 19. It was Easter Sunday, and he was in his hometown of Queens, New York. When he stopped his car to say hello to a friend, the friend introduced him to his cousin (Simone).
What happened to LL Cool J’s wife?
In 2004, Smith was diagnosed with stage III chondrosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. She was just 34 years old when she received the diagnosis. “It was life-changing and very shocking,” she said in an interview with First for Women. “I had a little knot on my leg, but other than that, I had no symptoms or pain.”
She first noticed the knot after getting her legs waxed for the first time. “It was almost like touching your knuckle. It was very, very subtle, but I’m so in tune with my body,” she added.
After an incident in the gym where Smith felt like her leg “wanted to break,” and another when she bumped her shin and it “swelled up,” Smith went to the doctor and got her diagnosis.
Smith had a 15-hour microvascular reconstructive surgery. Her right tibia bone was removed and replaced with a steel rod and her left fibula bone. She spent more than two years learning how to walk again and is now cancer-free.
What does Simone Smith do for a living?
In 2011, Smith founded Simone I. Smith jewelry. “Through her partnership with the American Cancer Society, she donates a portion of proceeds from each sale to the ongoing fight against the disease, in every form,” the brand’s website says. Smith was inspired to start the collection after her cancer battle.
She also teamed up with longtime friend Mary J. Blige in 2018 to create Sister Love, “a jewelry line inspired by their friendship. The designs, which symbolize strength, edge, and style, are a reflection of their support for each other and their love of statement pieces.”
Do LL Cool J and his wife have kids?
Yes, the Smiths are parents to four children. Their first child, son Najee, was born in 1989, before they were married. This was followed by baby #2, a daughter named Italia, in 1991.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Just over a month after they tied the knot, LL and Smith welcomed another daughter, Samaria, in September 1995, followed by their youngest, daughter Nina, in 2000. Through their children, LL and Smith also have four grandchildren.
MTV Video Music Awards 2025, Sunday, September 7, 8/7c, CBS
