Congratulations are in order as actress Candice Patton and retired NBA player J.R. Smith, who have just welcomed a baby boy into the world.
However, the news comes with a twist — as Smith is still married to the mother of his two daughters, Shirley “Jewel” Smith.
Patton shared the exciting news on her social media on Friday, Sept. 27, around 4 p.m., posting a series of four slides, including a video and pictures of the baby’s feet, with each parent touching the child. The distinctive tattoos on the father’s arms hinted at Smith’s identity.
Patton captioned the post, “Son in Virgo. Born at home. Heart now beats outside of my chest. In love forevermore.” Though she didn’t reveal the exact birth date, it is believed the baby arrived within the past month.
Gossip of the City picked up on the post, sharing some images, including one showing Smith’s recognizable ink. Comments under the post ranged from celebratory to shocked.
One person exclaimed, “That’s not his wife?!” while another quipped, “Awww he finally got his boy! But I thought he was back with his wife?”
One commenter added, “Lmaooo I loved her down but man did you forget you got up on this internet a few years ago and told us that you were gonna pray for JR Smith’s Wife, after she accused y’all of having an affair? This is interesting.”
Others pointed to Smith’s alleged history of infidelity, with one claiming, “He’s been cheating on his wife for years, starting publicly with Tahiry Jose.”
Another observer locked into their marital drama said, “Y’all remember when his wife at the time called them out for having an affair??”
“Didn’t he have a problem with one of his children being sick or something now he’s having more kids??” one comment asked the others, while one person declared, “The way he did his wife, even after her last traumatic pregnancy and birth, he won’t prosper.”
Five years ago, Smith’s wife Jewel publicly addressed the alleged affair on Instagram Live, asking for divine intervention.
“God is mad wild. There’s a lot going on … Help me, God. So, as I was taking Demi to school, God was like ‘Yeah, you gonna pray and you’re gonna post it,’” she said.
She went on saying, “God, I would like to lift my husband up and ask you, Lord Father God, to please just cover him with your blood,” and asking “wherever he is broke, you fix him [and] you heal him.”
“My husband, he’s hurting and Candice, Lord Father God, she’s hurting,” Jewel continued, calling out “The Flash” actress by name. “For her to go out here, Lord Father God, and seek a married man, Father God, I just pray that you give her grace and mercy through all of this. I lift her up.”
At the time, neither JR or Patton denied or confirmed being in a relationship with each other, but Smith took it a step further by claiming saying he was no longer with his spouse.
On Dec. 17, 2019, Smith wrote in his Instagram Story, “No weapon formed against me. IG ain’t a place for relationships!!”
In a second post, he added, “IG ain’t the place for relationships. But God told me to tell y’all I’ve been separated for months. He doesn’t understand why his child failed to mention that… #ThatsAll,” according to US magazine.
Candice Patton, JR Smith, Matthew Kang & guest at a golf club in Arizona, pic.twitter.com/5RSSnanwe8
— ⚡❤️ WestAllen / Grandice ❤️⚡ (@GenotHariette) April 17, 2023
It appears that rumors of Smith and Patton being a couple came after the two were seen together at a Halloween party in October 2019, just two months before the news about their relationship broke. A photo of them together was also posted on Instagram by “Riverdale” star Vanessa Morgan, according to People at the time.
Though Smith stated he and his wife had separated, the couple seemed to reunite briefly to celebrate one of their daughters’ birthdays in January 2020.
Later that month, Jewel posted photos of herself on Instagram, which Smith liked, leading some to speculate about a possible reconciliation. However, the reconciliation, if any, seemed to be short-lived.
Smith’s daughter’s IG page wished him a Happy Father’s Day in 2022 and more recently, the account shared a celebratory post for Smith’s birthday on Sept. 9 of this year.
The new baby makes four for Smith, who is now a senior at North Carolina A&T and a member of the HBCU’s golf team.
Smith and Jewel are the parents of daughters Dakota, 7, and Denver, 4. He has another 15-year-old daughter, Demi, from a previous relationship, and Jewel is also the mother to Peyton from a relationship before her marriage.
