Can a broken marriage turn into a source of strength for other women? Patricia Southall proves that it can. She wore the Miss Virginia crown in her twenties, but her real story grew long after the cameras moved on.
Many people know her only as Emmitt Smith’s wife. Far fewer know she has a journalism degree, once wrote a book on forgiveness, and built a charity from personal grief. This article shares her complete story in simple words, from her childhood to her life today.
Quick Facts Table: Who Is Patricia Southall?
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Patricia Annette Southall |
| Born | December 17, 1970 |
| Hometown | Chesapeake, Virginia |
| High School | Western Branch High School |
| College | James Madison University |
| Degree | Journalism |
| Pageant Title | Miss Virginia USA, 1993 |
| National Result | First runner-up, Miss USA 1994 |
| First Husband | Martin Lawrence (1995 to 1997) |
| Second Husband | Emmitt Smith (married April 22, 2000) |
| Children | Jasmin, Emmitt IV, Skylar, Elijah |
| Nonprofit | Treasure You |
| Book | “Second Chances” (2016) |
Who Is Patricia Southall?
Patricia Southall is an American author, speaker, and charity founder from Chesapeake, Virginia, best known as the former wife of NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and comedian Martin Lawrence. She first became known in 1993 after winning the Miss Virginia USA title. A year later, she placed first runner-up at Miss USA.
She later married Martin Lawrence, and they had a daughter together before divorcing in 1997. In 2000, she married Emmitt Smith, and the two built a large family over twenty years. Beyond her marriages, Patricia became known for her book, her charity, and her honest talks about healing.
Today, she runs a nonprofit called Treasure You. This group helps women dealing with hard times in life. Her story shows how someone can rebuild, even after very public setbacks.
Patricia Southall’s Childhood in Virginia
Patricia was born on December 17, 1970, in Chesapeake, Virginia. She did not grow up alone. Her twin sister, Pam Southall, was by her side through most of her childhood.
Her parents, Henry Southall and Mildred Southall, raised both girls with strong values. Mildred worked for many years in the Chesapeake school system. Before that job, she worked at Ford Motor Company and the Virginia Employment Commission, so hard work was normal in their home.
Patricia went to Western Branch High School. People there remember her as friendly and confident. That comfort in front of others would matter a lot later in her life.
Her College Years and First Pageant Wins
After high school, Patricia went to James Madison University. She studied journalism, which taught her to write clearly and speak with ease under pressure. These skills stayed useful for the rest of her career.
While still in school, she also entered local pageants. Judges noticed her calm and graceful stage presence right away. This talent slowly pushed her toward a much bigger stage.
In 1993, she won the Miss Virginia USA crown. That single win changed the direction of her life almost overnight. It marked the true start of her public journey.
Miss USA and Life After the Crown
The next year, Patricia Southall competed at the Miss USA 1994 pageant. She placed first runner-up, just behind winner Lu Parker of South Carolina. National news outlets picked up her name soon after.
With this new attention, Patricia moved into modeling and public speaking work. Companies wanted her as a spokesperson for their brands. This period shaped the public image many people still remember decades later.
Even with early success, Patricia never treated the crown as her final goal. She saw it as one small step in a much longer path. That mindset helped her later, when her personal life grew more complicated.
Marriage to Martin Lawrence
Patricia met comedian Martin Lawrence in the summer of 1992. At that time, she worked in Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder’s media office. Martin was performing nearby at a Def Comedy Jam show in Richmond, and the two met by chance.
They married in 1995. Their daughter, Jasmin Page Lawrence, was born on January 15, 1996. For a short time, their life together looked steady from the outside.
The marriage did not last, though. Martin filed for divorce in 1997, and the split became final soon after. Patricia later said she packed only one suitcase the night she left, not fully sure at first if it meant the end.
She spoke about this memory years later on Good Morning America. She said she felt ashamed and scared, since her own parents had stayed married for thirty years. Ending her marriage felt, in her words, like breaking a family pattern she deeply respected.
Building a New Life With Emmitt Smith
Patricia later met Emmitt Smith, already a star running back for the Dallas Cowboys. Their bond grew slowly instead of quickly. Both were rebuilding their lives around the same time.
They married on April 22, 2000. Emmitt already had a daughter, Rheagen Smith, from an earlier relationship. Patricia became her stepmother, welcoming her into the family with open arms.
Over the next twenty years, the couple raised a large and busy household. Emmitt retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, a record that still stands. Patricia balanced motherhood with public events, charity work, and her own personal projects.
A Growing Family
Patricia and Emmitt welcomed three children during their marriage. Their family grew steadily through the 2000s:
- Emmitt Smith IV, born May 15, 2002
- Skylar Smith, born October 15, 2003
- Elijah Alexander James Smith, born September 22, 2010
Along with Jasmin from her first marriage, Patricia raised four children in total. She often called her home lively and full of noise, in a good way. Big moments like graduations became times she proudly shared with fans.
Patricia is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a well known sorority built around service to others. This fits closely with the charity work she later built her life around. It gave her another community focused on support instead of fame.
Reality TV and Life in the Public Eye
Being married to a Hall of Fame athlete brought steady media attention. Patricia and Emmitt often showed up together at events like NFL Honors and Super Bowl weekend parties. Photographers regularly caught them smiling together on the red carpet.
In 2016, the couple starred in a reality show called “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” on the OWN network. Viewers got a real look at their blended family’s daily life. The show gave Patricia a new kind of public presence beyond pageants and football games.
That same year, she released her book, “Second Chances.” In it, she wrote honestly about forgiveness and letting go of old shame. She explained that guilt only holds people back from good things still waiting ahead.
Turning Grief Into Purpose
Patricia’s charity work did not come from an easy place. It grew out of real grief. Her mother, Mildred, passed away after a long fight with cancer, and that loss changed Patricia deeply.
Not long after, her twin sister Pam was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. Watching someone so close to her face that battle pushed Patricia to act instead of stay quiet. She wanted to build something that could truly help other women carrying similar pain.
That drive led to Treasure You, the nonprofit she founded. It offers emotional, financial, and spiritual support to women in crisis. During her marriage, she and Emmitt also ran Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, giving back to communities in need together.
Their charity work earned recognition at the Trumpet Awards in 2012. More recently, the Trumpet Foundation honored Patricia on her own for her continued giving. This later honor shows her impact has kept growing, long after her marriage changed direction.
Separating From Emmitt Smith
In 2020, just months after celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary, Patricia and Emmitt announced their separation. Their joint statement said the choice came “after much contemplation and prayer.” They asked for privacy while promising to stay committed co-parents.
Unlike many public breakups, this one stayed calm and respectful. Neither side turned the split into a public fight. Both kept showing up together for their children’s big moments, which surprised fans who expected more conflict.
The exact legal status of their divorce is still not fully clear. Some reports say it was finalized years ago. Others suggest no final paperwork existed as of late 2025. The fairest way to describe it is simple: the two separated and moved forward as friends, even if legal details remain private.
Speaking Honestly About Healing
In July 2026, Patricia spoke openly on the Pursue You podcast about her past relationships. She admitted she never fully healed after her first divorce before entering her second marriage. This honesty marked a real change from her earlier, more guarded public image.
“I will say this, I want love again,” she said during the talk. She added that she had not lost hope, even after two marriages ending in separation. She also took responsibility for her own part in past struggles, saying she had not always entered relationships whole.
This openness matches the same message she shared in “Second Chances” years before. Patricia has never claimed to have every answer figured out. Instead, she keeps showing others that healing takes time, not a single moment.
Where Patricia Southall Stands Today
As of 2026, Patricia continues leading Treasure You and speaking about healing in public. She stays close to all four of her children and remains active on social media, especially Instagram. Her focus has moved from pageant fame toward lasting purpose and honest storytelling.
She and Emmitt still support each other publicly, even years after their separation. Their shared commitment to co-parenting has never changed, no matter the unclear legal details. Patricia’s recent honors, including recognition from the Trumpet Foundation, show her influence keeps growing well beyond her past marriages.
Her life proves that public image and private growth do not always match right away. Sometimes it takes years to speak as freely as Patricia does now. That patience, more than any crown, may be her greatest achievement.
Final Thoughts
Patricia Southall’s story is far bigger than any single headline about marriage or divorce. She built her own identity through education, pageant success, and years of steady service to others. Her choice to speak honestly about pain, instead of hiding it, sets her apart from many public figures.
From Chesapeake, Virginia, to national pageant stages, through two very different marriages, Patricia kept choosing growth over bitterness. She turned personal loss into lasting purpose through Treasure You, staying truthful about her own healing the whole way.
Her life reminds readers that second chances are real, even if they do not arrive all at once. Sometimes the strongest legacy is simply choosing honesty, one season at a time.
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