Biography of Janet Smollett

Janet Smollett is the mother of Jussie Smollett. She is a legendary woman who has always been supportive of her children’s careers in show business.

Janet Harris Smollett was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 27, 1952.

Children

She and her husband Joel had six children and raised all of them together, although Joel was away from his children’s lives for a portion of their childhood. Her children are Jussie Smollet, Jojo Smollett, Jake Smollett, Jocqui Smollett, Jurnee Smollett, and Jazz Smollett.

Career

Janet Smollett, who is also regarded as a brilliant chef had her recipes published in a cookbook, which was launched in 2018. The cookbook, titled The Family Table: Recipes and Moments From a Nomadic Life, includes stories of her life and her family’s adventure, which included residing in thirteen different states around the United States, as well as her cooking recipes.

Janet’s commitment to becoming an activist for vital causes influenced her children, who advocate for issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention, the abolition of apartheid, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

While the children were growing up, the Smollett family relocated thirteen times across the United States. This was mostly due to the nature of their father’s employment. Perhaps most crucially, Janet Smollett is regarded as her children’s first and major acting coach, having taught them to many types of performing arts such as acting, singing, and dancing. Janet exposed her children to professional acting when they were young, and several of them have gone on to become well-known actresses, including Jussie Smollett and Jurnee Smollett.

Joel Smollett, Janet’s husband, died on January 7, 2015, as a result of cancer.

Read Also: Profile of Sara Menker, Founder of Gro Intelligence