Table of Biography
Tavis Smiley is a popular American Talk Show Host and Author. Tavis Smiley is widely known for hosting his late-night talk show on PBS from 2004 to 2017.
Early Life and Childhood
Tavis Smiley was born on September 13, 1964, in the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, United States. His age is 59 years as of 2024 and his full name is also Tavis Smiley.
Similarly, he is American by nationality and practices Christianity by religion. Moreover, he belonged to the African-American ethnicity and his zodiac sign is Virgo by date of birth.
Talking about his family members, his mother’s name was Joyce Marie Roberts. When he was two, his mother got married to Emory Garnell Smiley who was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.
However, there is no information available about his biological father. Likewise, he has seven brothers and two sisters. One of his sister names is Phyllis.
Tavis Smiley – Education
In terms of his educational background, he has done his schooling at Maconaquah High School in Bunker Hill, Indiana. Later, he studied public affairs and graduated in 2003 from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
Career and Professional Life
Moving on to Smiley’s career, he became interested in politics and community involvement at age 13. After serving as an advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, he got into politics. Before entering the media industry, he worked as a staff member for several politicians and political campaigns.
Similarly, his breakthrough in broadcasting began in the 1990s when he hosted the talk show BET Talk on Black Entertainment Television (BET). The show provided a platform for discussions on social and political issues within the African American community. He hosted his program on NPR, The Tavis Smiley Show which aired nationally.
Likewise, he gained popularity in the media when he hosted the late-night talk show Tavis Smiley on PBS from 2004 to 2017. The show featured insightful interviews with a wide array of guests, including celebrities, politicians, authors, and activists. His interviews often focused on pressing societal issues, shedding light on diverse perspectives and opinions.
Furthermore, apart from being a talk show host, he is also a prolific author and has written numerous books that cover topics such as leadership, success, poverty, and the African American experience. His books often aim to provoke thought and stimulate discussions on critical societal issues.
Additionally, he participated in season 19 of Dancing with the Stars on September 4, 2014, with professional dancer Sharna Burgess. They were eliminated finishing in 12th position. He was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014 for his achievements in television. Also, he is mentioned in the KRS-One song Clear ‘Em Out.
Caption: Tavis Smiley in the studio with guest. Source: Instagram
Brand Endorsements
Tavis Smiley has not endorsed any brand as of now. Similarly, there is no clue available on the web regarding the products he had supported. Also, he had never disclosed any information about the brands or companies he had ever endorsed.
Awards and Nomination
Smiley won the NAACP Image Awards in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 for the category Outstanding News, Talk or Information – Series or Special. He gave the commencement lecture at Connecticut College in 2008 when he received an honorary doctorate.
In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate from Langston University after delivering the graduating address. He also received Demos’ 2009 Interdependence Day Prize in Istanbul, Turkey.
Caption: Tavis Smiley with an award. Source: Digital Spy
Net Worth 2024
Smiley has an estimated net worth of approximately $10 million but his exact salary is not available. Similarly, most of his income is generated from his talk show host and author career.
Additionally, he has worked very hard to get this fame and is on the road to building his net worth in the future.
Caption: Tavis Smiley posing for the photo. Source: Instagram
Relationship Status
Smiley is a popular talk show host from America and many of his fans want to know more about him, including his dating life. On the other hand, he has kept his personal life private and has not revealed anything about his personal life.
However, he appears to be married, although he has not stated whether he is married or not. However, there was an allegation that he was having an affair with his subordinates.
Scandal
In 2017, PBS suspended the distribution of Smiley’s talk show following allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied. He filed a lawsuit against PBS, claiming racial bias and breach of contract.
The lawsuit was settled in PBS’s favour in 2018, concluding a legal battle that garnered significant media attention. Later, he was ordered to pay $ 2.6 million to PBS on August 5, 2020.
Tavis Smiley – Body Measurements
Talking about Soul’s height he was 6 Feet 1 inches tall and weighed 80kg. Similarly, he had a good-looking body structure but his accurate body measurements are unknown.
Moreover, he had a stunning pair of brown eyes and grey hair. Also, his dress size was 7 and his shoe size was 12(US).
Tavis Smiley – Social Media
Soul was active on Twitter. He had 19.8k followers on Twitter and owned a Twitter account @DavidRSoul. Moreover, he was not available on any other social media sites including Instagram and Facebook.