Julez Smith, 21, sparked dating buzz with rapper Tommie Lee, 41, after their weekend getaway moments went viral online. Here's what we know about Lee, the mom of two with a controversial past.
Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta alum Tommie Lee has once again found herself in the centre of discussion after she was seen cosying up to Julez Smith, the 21-year-old son of Beyonce's sister, Solange Knowles. The rapper's cosy moments with Smith have sparked backlash online, thanks to her highly controversial past, not to mention that she is even older than Smith's own mother.
In the clips, which quickly went viral, Lee, 41, was seen laughing and flirting with Smith. Screenshots from the Snapchat videos soon flooded social media, prompting speculation about a possible romance between the two and raising eyebrows at their glaring age gap.
A video that has been going viral on discussion platforms like X (Formerly Twitter) and Reddit shows Lee addressing Julez as her "baby" as the latter gives her a piggyback ride. The rapper describes their time together as a "crazy weekend" and, at one point, joked playfully:
“The s–t you do when you like somebody."
Lee was also seen planting a kiss on the 21-year-old's shoulder as she rode on his back, and the internet definitely has some thoughts. Social media wasted no time reacting to this unusual link-up, with many users pointing out that the rapper is not only 20 years older than Julez but also two years older than his mother, Solange. This, paired with her past controversies, has intensified conversation online. Here's all you need to know about Tommie Lee.
Those familiar with the Hip-Hop community may remember Tommie Lee from her stint on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. For those unfamiliar, Lee, born Latisha Jefferson, is a model and reality TV personality who rose to fame after participating in the show in 2016, initially appearing as Scrapp DeLeon’s girlfriend, and later becoming a full-time cast member until Season 7 in 2018. Her bold personality, whirlwind romances, and dramatic moments on the show made her a standout figure on the show. She later appeared on Zeus Network’s Baddies franchise.
Over the years, Lee has expanded her portfolio as a rapper and actress and later earned a loyal fanbase with her original tracks. Born in 1984 in Newark, New Jersey, she grew up in a working-class household and experienced run-ins with the law from a relatively early age. Partly responsible for her turbulent past was the environment she was raised in; Newark in the 1990s was known as one of the country's most troubled urban localities for its struggling economy and high crime rates.
Tommie Lee has never shied away from admitting that she has had a turbulent past riddled with multiple arrests and controversies. When she joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta in 2016, she had already been arrested nearly 30 times, which she herself shared in the show. In her interview with VH1, the rapper had mentioned that most of her arrests happened because of violating probation. Joking about her numerous mugshots, Lee said:
“Half the time I’ve been on probation without going to prison. Half the time I was put on probation but I was still a bada–. I still would violate probation. I wouldn’t do community service, so [I] guess that you get booked again and [then] you got a whole new mugshot.”
Lee's jail visits have been so frequent over the years that she even gave birth to her first child, Samaira Lee, in 2003, while incarcerated. She candidly spoke about this in a VH1 interview in 2016, sharing how she had an emergency C-section and "had to go back to the jail." Her second daughter, Havalli, was born in 2007 after Lee regained her freedom.
In 2019, Tommie Lee was indicted for child cruelty, aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, battery, and disrupting a public school after she allegedly shoved her daughter's head into a metal locker in her middle school and dragged her by her hair. She was initially sentenced to 10 years, but was later given probation and admitted to an inpatient recovery program.
Now, she is a changed woman and a protective mom of her two daughters. After the 2019 incident, Lee admitted that she had problems that needed expert intervention for recovery. Speaking to TMZ, the rapper mentioned that she was working to become a better person and seeking treatment to rid herself of her old habits. She shared:
“I’ve been working really hard through my problems considering the challenges that’s been set before me since I’ve been home. I’ve done all that I can do on my own to shake my habits but I do realize that I need help and I am currently seeking treatment.”
Julez Smith has been quietly carving out his own path in the fashion world. Born in 2004 to celebrity parents, Solange and Daniel Smith, Julez is a part of the Knowles family legacy, including his aunt, Beyonce's global music career, and his grandma Tina Knowles’ influential presence in the fashion industry. Smith has found his footing in fashion, making his runway debut as a young model in 2024. He has since walked in major shows across Paris, Milan, and New York Fashion Weeks.
Despite his growing fame, Julez has largely kept his personal life private until now. It is to be noted that the dating buzz surfaced days after he shut down the alleged "misconceptions" about his sexuality. Having been characterised as a "pretty boy" since an early age, the model shared that he had been presumed to be gay when he was merely 13 and had a girlfriend, too.
Neither Julez nor Lee has addressed the speculation about their recent link-up, but the two have definitely got the internet talking. What are your thoughts on this pairing?
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