Former NBA All-Star J.R. Smith is charting his own path after retirement amid gossip about his personal life.
Along with returning to college and enrolling at an HBCU, where he’s joined the golf team, Smith also building a family with his new love, “The Flash” actress Candice Patton.
Recently, Patton gave fans a glimpse of their new baby by sharing a joint post on Instagram, which featured more photos of their son after the grand reveal.
In the series of images, the couple playfully covered their baby boy’s face with a blue heart and other emojis. Some pictures show their little one nestled in soft sheets, while another captures Smith proudly holding his son during a shopping trip.
In the one photo, the North Carolina A&T senior looks directly into the camera, with his baby boy resting peacefully over his tattooed arm.
While the post was flooded with hundreds of well-wishes and congratulations on Smith having his first son, not everyone was so positive.
One comment read, “I thought he was married! Congrats,” alluding to his estranged wife and the mother of his two youngest daughters, Dakota, 7, and Denver, 4.
Someone else chimed in, “Hell naw, dis nigga @teamswish be running thu ’em,” referencing rumors about Smith’s past relationships.
People started to nitpick at everything from “Why is there a bowl of cereal next to him” to why can’t they see more than just the baby’s curly hair.
Meanwhile, one person asked, “Why is there so many nasty comments. They are happy and they had a beautiful baby and they want to share it with the word. They cover their face cause they want a little privacy but still want to share the news and there’s nothing wrong with it. Grant does it too and as a fan of them both you should just be happy for them. Candice congratulations the baby is beautiful xx.”
When one fan responded, questioning why someone would post the pictures of their child and not show their faces, Smith was quick to clap back, writing, “And who cares what you get?”
Not to let the read go unchecked, the person replied, “I do…u mad or naw? Lol.”
But that did not shut Smith down. With the same effortless energy that the NBA championship winner displayed on the court, he answered calmly writing, “Nope happy with my family and my life. Clearly your not” with a laughing emoji.
The person would later reply that they were making a universal statement that was not necessarily aimed at him, commenting, “@teamswish as you should be… I’m not even saying I’m not happy for you or anything and my comment wasn’t just towards you… I’m talking everyone that does it.”
Adding, “Not sure why u are taking it as disrespect… and I’m very happy with my family by the way… stay blessed and enjoy your new bundle of joy.”
One reason why Smith may have been on the defensive is due to the years he and Patton have been headlines for their growing romance while he was still married to his wife, Shirley “Jewel” Smith.
Smith married Jewel in 2016, and, amidst rumors of his relationship with Patton, announced their separation in 2022. There have been reports about either filing for divorce.
The rumors started in late 2019, when Smith and Patton started being spotted out at several events, including a Halloween party in October of that year, where “Riverdale” star Vanessa Morgan snapped a picture of the two and posted it on her Instagram, sparking a lot of controversy, according to People at the time.
JR Smith cheating with Candice Patton? Lmao. Texas women ain’t shit pic.twitter.com/v7vcyRJD5G
— Forever Trill🇳🇬 🇰🇪 🇧🇸 (@mccauley713) December 18, 2019
However, the situation became more public when Jewel posted a heartfelt video on social media, praying about their marital issues and alluding to the affair.
“God, I would like to lift my husband up and ask you, Lord Father God, to please just cover him with your blood,” she said in the prayer, asking, “wherever he is broke, you fix him [and] you heal him.”
She continued, “My husband, he’s hurting and Candice, Lord Father God, she’s hurting. 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.”
Ultimately, the couple broke up, leading Smith and Patton to no longer hide that they were together.
Candice Patton, JR Smith, Matthew Kang & guest at a golf club in Arizona, pic.twitter.com/5RSSnanwe8
— ⚡❤️ WestAllen / Grandice ❤️⚡ (@GenotHariette) April 17, 2023
Their separation marked the end of a marriage that had faced multiple challenges, including the health struggles of their daughter Dakota, who was born prematurely in 2017.
The new baby makes four for Smith. In addition to his two daughters with Jewel, he has a 15-year-old daughter named Demi from a previous relationship.
