Who Is Suni Lee's Boyfriend, Jaylin Smith?
Sunisa "Suni" Lee is all loved up! The hugely talented Olympian who dazzled everyone with her wildly impressive skills at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics debuted her new man, Jaylin Smith, via Instagram (how else?) in late December 2021 when she shared two sets of gorgeous snaps of the two cuddling up together.
The happy couple matched in oversized black hoodies and flashed smiles for the first snap as Smith put his arm around the former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant, and she placed her hand on his chest. In the second snap, Smith rested his head against the side of her face as the athlete sweetly caressed his face. Lee shared the photos to her account alongside a heart symbol.
Smith went a little more subtle to debut their romance on his Instagram page, burying two snaps of him with Lee — which seemingly taken at the same as the ones she posted — in a slew of solo snaps showing him modelling the oversized clothing and sneakers. He also included an adorable snap of them walking down the street together as he put his arm around her. Aww!
But who exactly is the man who stole Lee's heart?
Jaylin Smith is a football player
The athlete and the athlete sitting in a tree! Sunisa "Suni" Lee's boyfriend, Jaylin Smith, is a college football player, playing for the University of Southern California Trojans. There are plenty of shots of him in his uniform on his Instagram account, as the footballer shares photos from the field as well as professional studio shots. In his Instagram bio, Smith describes himself as a "Sportsperson."
A little more about the athlete? Well, his hometown is Palmdale, California, and he has experience in the spotlight. Some TV fans may already be familiar with him, as he appeared on Netflix's "Coach Snoop," according to his USC profile.
Smith has also sadly lost his mom. His Instagram has at least two tributes to her, including one photo of him with her when he was a kid, posted in March 2018. He then went on to pay tribute on Instagram in October 2019 as he celebrated her birthday. "You forever live through me," he wrote with a red heart emoji. "I gotchu forever.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY."
Things haven't exactly been smooth sailing in Smith and Lee's relationship so far, either. In a TikTok comment in late 2021, Lee shared she'd "received so much hate" over her interracial relationship and suggested the Hmong Community may not have been overly accepting. "They support me when it's beneficial for them never when it comes to my happiness," she claimed.
One thing that can't be denied? These two make a gorgeous couple!