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20 Sweet Photos Of LL Cool J And Simone Smith Over The Years

The couple, who share four children, have been down for one another since the '80s and are still going strong. See their love story in photos.
20 Sweet Photos Of LL Cool J And Simone Smith Over The Years
Actor LL Cool J and date Simone Johnson arrive at the 1988 American Music Awards party. This photo appears on page 58-59 in Frank Trapper’s RED CARPET book. (Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)
By Victoria Uwumarogie ·

Solid as a rock. That’s one of many ways to describe the union of rapper LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith, and his wife, Simone Smith. The couple, who married on Aug. 7, 1995, have four children, and have come a long way since they met in 1987, early in a career that has spanned 40 years in hip-hop. When they celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary back in 2018, they did so in the presence of other long-lasting couples, including Magic Johnson and wife Cookie, who were hosting them on their annual summer yacht trip through Europe.

“LORD you have been better than GOOD!!” Simone wrote at the time. “Today my husband @llcoolj and I, my soulmate and the man I loved since I was 17 years old celebrated 24 years of marriage in Italy on a yacht surrounded by other couples that have decades of marriage amongst them.”

Smith added, “Thank you God for the first 24. Please continue to Bless us and let our love be an example to our children and grandchildren. AMEN”

The couple have been an example to their family of course, but also to all of us. They have been through a lot, including the highs of watching his career explode in the late ’80s and ’90s and all that comes with that, along with the lows of Simone being diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, in 2004, which she went on to beat.

It’s rare to see relationships like the Smiths in today’s culture, as many couples throw in the towel without a second thought. But the pair, who go back to their teen years, have made it work. They support one another’s career moves, including Simone’s popular eponymous jewelry line. They also support one another in the day to day. The rap icon, actor, and businessman says that’s a part of true romance, and when you prioritize it, longevity as a couple is the end result.

“The romantic aspects of the marriage need to take place during the day,” he said to OK! in 2013. “Too many men make the mistake of wanting to get romantic at the last second. It takes all day, and it’s an ongoing thing. It’s about support.”

The pair are still going strong, still enjoying being each other’s red carpet date, and being one our favorite hip-hop pairs.

“My handsome Fly Guy/Hip Hop G.O.A.T husband and I have been doing this married life with God first, our children, our grandchildren, family, friends and of course HIP HOP,” Simone said when they celebrated their 28th anniversary in 2023. “How can you be married to @llcoolj and Hip Hop not be a huge part of your marriage and your life? You can’t. In the 80’s we were Chillin’, in the 90’s we were Loungin’, in the 2000’s we’re still Lovin’ each other better.”

And we love to see it. Check out photos of their long-lasting bond from the ’80s to the present.

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