Overview
- The filmmaker announced her death in a tribute post, specifying the time as 8:34 p.m. on Monday.
- He had flown to Florida over Thanksgiving after reporting a sudden medical emergency involving his mother.
- Two days after the scare, he said she had “bounced back,” a brief rally that preceded her passing.
- Smith said he and his siblings, Virginia and Don, visited her in the hospital during the health crisis.
- In his message, he praised her devotion and strength, calling her “a lioness,” and noted earlier health struggles, including a life‑saving surgery in September 2024.