Most people meet Elle Smith through one of two headlines: a Miss USA crown or a famous football partner. The journalist — born in Springfield, Ohio, per her University of Kentucky Alumni profile (.edu record), and based in Louisville — was crowned Miss USA 2021 at age 23, as NPR (U.S. public radio network) reported. This profile sorts the confirmed biography from the rumor: her journalism career, her relationship with Leah Williamson, and what the public record still leaves unclear.
Full Name: Ellen Elizabeth Smith · Date of Birth: June 19, 1998 (reported) · Title: Miss USA 2021 · Occupation: Journalist and model · Instagram Followers: 162K · TikTok Followers: 191.1K
Quick snapshot
- Crowned Miss USA 2021 in Tulsa on Nov. 29, 2021 (AL.com (Alabama news outlet))
- Graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2020 with a broadcast journalism degree (NPR (U.S. public radio network))
- Works as a multimedia journalist at WHAS-TV in Louisville (NPR (U.S. public radio network))
- Exact birth date: sources report June 19 or June 20, 1998 (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- Relationship start date with Leah Williamson, reported as 2023 but not confirmed (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- Ethnicity is not stated in official profiles (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- Full name: Ellen Elizabeth Smith (sourced from Wikipedia) (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- Modeling agencies: Wilhelmina Models and EVM Global (sourced from Wikipedia) (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- Instagram followers: ~162K (sourced from Wikipedia) (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- TikTok followers: ~191.1K (sourced from Wikipedia) (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- Publicly documented as the partner of England footballer Leah Williamson (sourced from Wikipedia) (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- Oct. 2020: joined WHAS-TV Louisville (NPR (U.S. public radio network))
- Nov. 29, 2021: won Miss USA 2021 (AL.com (Alabama news outlet))
- 2023 (reported): relationship with Leah Williamson began (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
- Watch for: continued TV journalism work in Louisville after pageant duties (NPR (U.S. public radio network))
- Further cervical-cancer awareness and prevention work (AL.com (Alabama news outlet))
- Public milestones in her relationship with Leah Williamson (Wikipedia biography (community-maintained reference))
Twelve details, one pattern: the verified record is heavy on career milestones and light on personal biography.
| Detail | Record |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ellen Elizabeth Smith (Wikipedia biography) |
| Birthplace | Springfield, Ohio (University of Kentucky Alumni profile) |
| Reported birth date | June 19 or June 20, 1998 (Wikipedia biography) |
| Education | B.A. in broadcast journalism, University of Kentucky, 2020 (NPR) |
| Pageant pathway | Miss Kentucky USA 2021, then Miss USA 2021 (University of Kentucky Alumni profile; AL.com) |
| Age at Miss USA win | 23 (NPR) |
| TV career | Multimedia journalist, WHAS-TV, Louisville (NPR) |
| Advocacy | Cervical-cancer awareness and prevention (AL.com) |
| Relationship | Partner of Leah Williamson (Wikipedia biography) |
| Modeling agencies | Wilhelmina Models and EVM Global (Wikipedia biography) |
| @officialellesmith, ~162K followers (Wikipedia biography) | |
| TikTok | @officialellesmith, ~191.1K followers (Wikipedia biography) |
Who Is Elle Smith?
Elle Smith built a local-television career in Louisville before a pageant stage made her a national name. The biography assembled from University of Kentucky records, NPR, and AL.com traces a straight line from campus newsrooms to the Miss USA stage.
Elle Smith’s Age
- Reported date of birth: June 19 or June 20, 1998 — sources differ (Wikipedia biography)
- Age at Miss USA win: 23 (NPR)
- Age in 2025: 26, per profile summaries (Wikipedia biography)
The birth-date discrepancy is the kind of detail pageant profiles rarely reconcile: some entries list June 19, others June 20 (Wikipedia biography). The year is consistent, and so is the math — she was 23 when she took the crown in Tulsa in November 2021 (NPR). The practical takeaway: treat 1998 as solid and the exact day as an open thread.
Elle Smith’s Ethnicity
- Official pageant biography and profile summaries do not state her ethnicity (Wikipedia biography)
- Served as vice president of the University of Kentucky chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NPR)
The absence of a stated ethnicity is itself the fact: Smith’s public profiles focus on journalism and advocacy rather than racial background. What is documented is her leadership role in the University of Kentucky chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists — a meaningful signal from her student-career years (NPR). Any claim about a specific ethnicity goes beyond the public record.
Elle Smith’s Career and Achievements
- Graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2020 with a broadcast journalism degree and a political science minor (NPR)
- Joined WHAS-TV, Louisville’s ABC affiliate, in October 2020 (NPR)
- Won Miss Kentucky USA 2021 — her first pageant — then Miss USA 2021 (University of Kentucky Alumni profile; AL.com)
- Listed with modeling agencies Wilhelmina Models and EVM Global (Wikipedia biography)
Her pageant run started almost by accident. The University of Kentucky Alumni profile identifies Miss Kentucky USA as her first pageant, and a year later, at 23, she was crowned Miss USA 2021 at the River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa (AL.com).
Smith’s advocacy is the through-line: she made cervical-cancer awareness and prevention part of her Miss USA platform, inspired by her late grandmother (AL.com). Before the crown, she was already working as a reporter and videographer for UK student publications and athletics media (University of Kentucky Alumni profile), then continued straight into local TV after graduation (NPR).
One crown, two résumés: the Miss USA title bought national visibility, but the journalism CV — a Kentucky degree and a seat in a Louisville newsroom — existed first and continues to define her.
After the win, NPR noted that Smith was scheduled to represent the United States at Miss Universe 2021 in Israel.
What Is Elle Smith’s Relationship with Leah Williamson?
The part of Smith’s biography that draws the most searches is also the least documented. Her Wikipedia profile identifies her as the partner of Leah Williamson, the England and Arsenal footballer — and that single sentence is the backbone of most relationship coverage, because neither woman has issued a formal announcement (Wikipedia biography).
How Long Have They Been Together?
- Exact start date: not publicly confirmed (Wikipedia biography)
- Reported estimate: the relationship began around 2023 (Wikipedia biography)
The 2023 date is the most repeated estimate in fan timelines, but it is labeled as reported, not confirmed, in the public record (Wikipedia biography). What is clear is that profile summaries now treat the relationship as an established part of Smith’s biography.
Are They Still Together?
- Status per current public record: together (Wikipedia biography)
- No report of a split appears in the sources gathered for this article
As of 2025, the profile summaries reviewed for this article list the relationship as ongoing, and none of the sources gathered here report a breakup.
Relationship timelines for this couple are built from public appearances and profile updates, not announcements — treat every “how long” answer as an estimate, not a documented fact.
Does Leah Williamson Have a Husband?
- No — there is no public record of a husband (Wikipedia biography)
- Her publicly documented partner is Elle Smith (Wikipedia biography)
The “husband” question is a search-habit artifact: users type it because they assume a high-profile woman must have one. The public record shows no marriage for Williamson.
The catch: the gap between public curiosity and official disclosure is where most relationship rumors live.
Leah Williamson’s Personal Life and Career
The relationship questions only make sense with context on Williamson, whose football career is highly public while her private life stays quiet.
What Condition Does Leah Williamson Have?
Williamson’s injury timeline is well documented, but her private life is not — the football record is public, the rest is not.
Williamson tore her ACL in April 2023, an injury that kept her out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup and much of the following season. The injury is a recurring reference point in her career timeline, even though the exact recovery milestones are not all public.
Who Has Leah Williamson Dated?
- Publicly documented relationship: Elle Smith (Wikipedia biography)
- Previous relationships: not detailed in public sources
Williamson’s dating history is mostly a blank page. The only relationship documented in the sources behind this profile is the one with Smith; earlier relationships have not been the subject of credible public reporting.
What Is Leah Williamson’s Salary?
- Official figure: not publicly disclosed
- Press estimates vary widely
Women’s Super League salaries are not published the way men’s football wages are, and Williamson’s pay at Arsenal and with England is no exception. Any specific salary number circulating online is an estimate, not an official figure.
What this means: treat salary figures as speculation, and keep the verified fact in view — Williamson is a professional footballer at the elite level, but her contract details are private.
Other Lionesses: Lucy Bronze and Relationship Questions
Elle Smith’s story sits inside a larger pattern: fans want to know who the Lionesses are off the pitch, and the players mostly decline to say.
Who Is Lucy Bronze in a Relationship With?
- No current relationship publicly confirmed
- Tabloid speculation exists without firm confirmation
Lucy Bronze, one of the most decorated players in England women’s football, keeps her personal life private. As with Williamson, the public record answers the “who is she dating” question with silence rather than confirmation.
Do Any Lionesses Have Boyfriends?
- Several Lionesses have been linked to partners in press coverage
- Many players prefer to keep private lives out of the spotlight
That is the honest summary of the public record: links exist, confirmations don’t. The absence of detail is a choice by the players, not a reporting failure.
Fans who want the Lionesses’ private lives on display are asking for something most players have declined to give — the same privacy that protects them off the pitch also leaves relationship questions permanently unsettled.
The pattern: curiosity about women’s football couples runs far ahead of the facts, and the players’ silence is its own statement.
Elle Smith’s Family, Social Media, and Modeling
The final slice of Smith’s public profile is also the lightest — family details are scarce, while her social platforms and modeling roster are well documented.
Elle Smith’s Parents
- Parents’ identities: not widely published
- Documented family influence: her late grandmother inspired her advocacy (AL.com)
Her cervical-cancer platform came from a personal place: she cited her late grandmother as the inspiration for making prevention part of her Miss USA mission (AL.com). The rest of her family tree stays off the public record.
Elle Smith’s Modeling Career
- Signed with Wilhelmina Models (Wikipedia biography)
- Also represented by EVM Global (Wikipedia biography)
Pageant winners often convert titles into modeling contracts, and Smith’s roster follows that path: Wilhelmina and EVM Global are the agencies listed in her profile summaries.
Elle Smith on Instagram and TikTok
- Instagram: @officialellesmith — ~162K followers
- TikTok: @officialellesmith — ~191.1K followers
Her handle is consistent across platforms, and the combined reach makes her a working public figure as much as a journalist and titleholder. The follower counts in profile summaries put her Instagram at roughly 162K and her TikTok at roughly 191.1K (Wikipedia biography).
The implication: for a journalist, the combined reach of a pageant title, a football-adjacent spotlight, and 350,000+ social followers is a distribution asset — one she can offer newsrooms and brands alike.
Elle Smith: Timeline of Key Events
Six markers, one pattern: the timeline gets more solid as it gets more recent.
- — Born in Springfield, Ohio (University of Kentucky Alumni profile)
- — Graduated from the University of Kentucky with a broadcast journalism degree (NPR)
- — Joined WHAS-TV in Louisville (NPR)
- — Crowned Miss USA 2021 in Tulsa, Oklahoma (AL.com)
- — Scheduled to represent the U.S. at Miss Universe 2021 (NPR)
- — Relationship with Leah Williamson began, per profile summaries (Wikipedia biography)
The takeaway: the career dates are all anchored to verified coverage; the relationship date is the only item on the list that remains reported rather than confirmed.
Confirmed Facts vs. What’s Unclear
Separating the two is the whole job of a profile like this — and the split is informative.
Confirmed facts
- Born in Springfield, Ohio (University of Kentucky Alumni profile)
- Graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2020 (NPR)
- Joined WHAS-TV in October 2020 (NPR)
- Won Miss Kentucky USA 2021 and Miss USA 2021 (University of Kentucky Alumni profile; AL.com)
- Served as vice president of Kentucky’s NABJ chapter (NPR)
- Advocacy focus: cervical-cancer awareness (AL.com)
What’s unclear
- Exact birth date: June 19 vs. June 20, 1998 (Wikipedia biography)
- Start date of the relationship with Leah Williamson
- Ethnicity — not stated in official profiles
- Leah Williamson’s exact salary
- Elle Smith’s parents’ identities
- Lucy Bronze’s relationship status
- Previous relationships for both Smith and Williamson
- Full name: Ellen Elizabeth Smith (sourced from Wikipedia)
- Modeling agencies: Wilhelmina Models and EVM Global (sourced from Wikipedia)
- Instagram followers: ~162K (sourced from Wikipedia)
- TikTok followers: ~191.1K (sourced from Wikipedia)
- Publicly documented as the partner of England footballer Leah Williamson (sourced from Wikipedia)
The pattern: the professional record is confirmed seven times over, while the personal record is a series of open questions.
Key Quotes
Three pull-outs capture the tone of the public record — one personal, one institutional, one reported.
Journalism is a serious public responsibility and an opportunity to connect with communities.
— Elle Smith, Miss USA 2021 biography, via AL.com
Miss Kentucky USA was her first pageant.
— University of Kentucky Alumni profile
She was 23 when she won the title.
— NPR, on Elle Smith’s Miss USA 2021 victory
The pattern: the only direct voice on the record belongs to Smith herself; the other two entries are institutional — which is exactly how thin the personal paper trail is.
The Takeaway
Elle Smith’s story is really two stories: a Kentucky-based journalist who won a national pageant and then became half of a high-profile football couple. The public record is strong on her résumé and thin on the relationship timeline — and keeping those two separate is what most coverage gets wrong. For readers, the honest position is simple: the couple is together, and the details are theirs. For Elle Smith, the choice is clear — keep building the journalism and modeling career that predates the crown, or let the relationship coverage rewrite her professional narrative for her.
infobae.com, urbanmixr.uk, urbanmixr.uk, urbanmixr.uk, imdb.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Elle Smith from?
Elle Smith was born in Springfield, Ohio, according to the University of Kentucky Alumni profile, and she is based in Louisville, where she works at WHAS-TV (NPR).
What is Elle Smith’s real name?
Her full name is Ellen Elizabeth Smith, as listed in profile summaries (Wikipedia biography).
Is Elle Smith married?
There is no public record of Elle Smith being married. Her documented relationship is with England footballer Leah Williamson (Wikipedia biography).
Does Elle Smith have children?
No public record indicates that Elle Smith has children.
What does Elle Smith do for a living?
She works as a journalist — she joined Louisville’s WHAS-TV in October 2020 (NPR) — and she models with Wilhelmina Models and EVM Global (Wikipedia biography).
How tall is Elle Smith?
Her height is not documented in the sources gathered for this profile.
What is Elle Smith’s Instagram handle?
Her Instagram handle is @officialellesmith, with roughly 162,000 followers, according to profile summaries (Wikipedia biography).
George Thompson is Senior Reporter at UrbanMixr.uk, covering breaking culture, lifestyle and general news stories across the UK.