JR Smith responds to trolls after he and Candice Patton share a loving post from their newborn years after estranged wife revealed their affair

Former NBA star JR Smith is following his own path amid rumors about his personal life following his retirement.

In addition to returning to college and enrolling at an HBCU, where he joined the golf team, Smith also began a family along with his latest love, “The Flash” actress Candice Patton.

Patton recently gave fans a glimpse of his latest baby by sharing a joint post on Instagram, which featured more photos of their son following the large reveal.

In a series of photos, the couple playfully covered their baby boy’s face with a blue heart and other emojis. Some photos show their toddler wrapped in soft sheets, while others show Smith proudly holding his son while shopping.

In one photo, the North Carolina A&T senior looks directly into the camera as his young son rests peacefully on his tattooed arm.

Although the post was flooded with lots of of wishes and congratulations on the birth of Smith’s first son, not everyone was so positive.

One comment read: “I assumed he was married! Congratulations,” referring to his estranged wife and mother of his two youngest daughters, Dakota, 7, and Denver, 4.

Someone else chimed in, “No f**k dis n***a @teamswish be bossing ’em around,” referring to rumors about Smith’s past relationships.

People began stating every thing from “Why is there a bowl of cereal next to him” to why they can not see greater than just the child’s curly hair.

Meanwhile, one person asked: “Why are there so many nasty comments. They are happy, they have a beautiful child and they want to share it with the world. They cover their face because they want some privacy, but they still want to share the news and there’s nothing wrong with that. Grant does this too and as a fan of both of them you should just be happy for them. Candice congratulations, the baby is beautiful xx.”

When a fan responded by asking why someone would post photos of their child and not show their face, Smith was quick to respond and wrote, “Who cares what you get?”

To avoid letting the reading go unchecked, the person replied, “Are you indignant or not? Lots of guffaws.”

But that did not discourage Smith. With the identical effortless energy that the NBA championship winner displayed on the court, he responded calmly, writing: “No, I’m happy with my family and life. Apparently not” with a laughing emoji.

The person later responded that they were making a universal statement that wasn’t necessarily directed at him, commenting, “@teamswish like it’s best to… I’m not even saying I’m not comfortable for you or anything and my comment was only towards you… I say to all those that do that.”

Adding, “I don’t know why you take it as disrespectful… and by the way, I’m very happy with my family… stay blessed and enjoy your new bundle of joy.”

One reason Smith could have been on the defensive is the years he and Patton made headlines for their budding romance while he was still married to his wife, Shirley “Jewel” Smith.

Smith married Jewel in 2016 and announced their separation in 2022 amid rumors about his relationship with Patton. There were reports that considered one of them had filed for divorce.

The rumors began in late 2019 when Smith and Patton were spotted at several events, including a Halloween party in October of that 12 months, during which “Riverdale” star Vanessa Morgan took a photo of them and posted it on her Instagram, causing controversy spark. In my opinion, it raises a lot of controversy People then.

However, things became more public when Jewel posted a candid video on social media wherein she prayed about their marital problems and hinted at an affair.

“God, I want to lift up my husband and ask You, Lord, Father God, to just cover him with Your blood,” she said in prayer, asking: “Wherever he is broken, repair him (and) yourself to heal him.”

She continued, “My husband is hurting and Candice, Lord Father God, she is hurting. For her to come out here, Lord Father God, and search for a married man, Father God, I just pray that You would give her grace and mercy through all of this. I pick it up.

Ultimately, the couple broke up, leading Smith and Patton to stop hiding the undeniable fact that they were together.

Their separation marked the top of a marriage that faced many challenges, including health problems for their daughter Dakota, who was born prematurely in 2017.

The latest baby means 4 for Smith. In addition to his two daughters with Jewel, he has a 15-year-old daughter named Demi from a previous relationship.