Smith died in New York following what her family described as a “long, courageous battle” with the condition.
Her death was confirmed by her twin children, Airyn and Julian, whom she shared with her former partner, Hollywood actor Robert De Niro.
Born Dorris Smith in 1952, she adopted the stage name Toukie, which was inspired by a nickname given to her by her grandmother.
Explaining the origin of her name in a 1990 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she said: “It was a nickname my grandmother gave me that came from a children’s record about a little red fire engine with lots of energy. I’ve always had lots of energy.”
Smith began dating De Niro in 1988, and the pair welcomed twin boys through a surrogate. Their relationship reportedly lasted several years before they separated in 1996.
Beyond acting, she enjoyed a successful modelling career, featuring in campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent and appearing in publications including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Ebony and Redbook.
She also made history in 1978 when she became Bloomingdale’s first Model of the Year.
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