Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee took home the highest medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the women’s all-around competition when she was only 18 years old. She was the first Asian American to claim the title. Lee hails from St. Paul, Minnesota, and is representing the U.S. Olympic team in Paris this year, despite a battle with kidney disease in 2023.
With all of Lee’s accomplishments, fans are curious about who could possible be her match. She seems to have found her partner in football player Jaylin Smith. Here’s everything we know about the couple so far.
Who is Jaylin Smith?
Smith plays football for the University of Southern California as a cornerback and is currently in his senior year, according to his school bio. Before college, he also played the position at Bishop Alemany High in Mission Hills, California. He is majoring in communications.
Smith’s name, image, and likeness rights (NIL) connect to House of Victory, which offers paid opportunities to USC athletes via donations.
Being such a talented athlete at a young age, Smith was tapped to star in the Netflix series Coach Snoop. In the show, rapper Snoop Dogg coached a youth football team toward a national title. Smiths’s nickname on the show was “J-Roc,” and according to 24-7 Sports, Snoop thought he was a star.
“J-Roc, he’s a different kind of kid,” Snoop said. “Definitely one of my favorites.”
Smith’s mother died when he was quite young after being killed in a hit-and-run. On the show, he opened up about how he thinks of her when he plays in particular.
“Every time I scored, I’d hear her screaming on the sideline,” he shared on the series. “So you know, I miss her being on the sideline with me. I cry sometimes, but I don’t like to show my emotions on anything. I’m a strong guy. Imma grieve on the field. I’m gonna make sure you feel it because you on a different team from me.”
How long have the couple been together?
In December 2021, Lee shared some photos of her and Smith embracing in matching black hoodies. She captioned it with a heart emoji but has since deleted it, according to People.
In a comment Lee left on a TikTok video, it seems her reason for deleting the post and keeping her relationship private has been racist backlash. Lee was the first Hmong American gymnast at the Tokyo Olympics, NBC News reports, and a Hmong TikToker discussed how dating a Black man could receive racist backlash in their community..
A user named alixphom posted the TikTok in which he says, “I know that Sunisa will be judged by certain eyes in the Hmong American Community because her man is Black. LOVE is LOVE, no matter what race or gender you are. Keep doing you QUEEN.”
“This makes me so happy. I’ve received so much hate. They support me when it’s beneficial for them, never when it comes to my happiness. Thank you!” Lee commented under the TikTok video.
Lee and Smith have kept their relationship mostly quiet in the time since, but they still follow each other on Instagram. Lee liked Smith’s most recent Instagram from May 17, commenting “proud,” on it.
Lee’s comment on Simpson’s most recent Instagram.