Former Miss New York Taryn Delanie Smith brings laughter, comfort to millions on TikTok
NEW YORK (WABC) -- You might recognize her as former Miss New York, or Denise, heaven's receptionist, on social media.
She's Taryn Delanie Smith and she is one of the hosts of "Influenced," a brand-new talk show from Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine that debuts on Prime Video on Thursday.
Smith is a comedian, actor, philanthropist, influencer, and beauty queen who has captured the hearts of millions with her authenticity. Now, she gets to bring her unique charm to a whole new audience.
"Denise was just a skit in the beginning," said Smith on her viral character. "Like it was just funny. The first message I got was, 'Thank you so much. This is the first video that has made me laugh since my dad passed away.' And then somebody else said, 'Me too.'"
Those messages kept coming, so she's kept going, with each video delivering laughter and comfort to millions.
"What an incredible honor in my life that I can bring comfort in that way," said Smith.
Her path to stardom was paved with challenges after she was raised by a single mother and bullied for her uniqueness.
"For me it was really hard," said Smith. "I knew I knew I was really capable. But I was just so full of ideas. I was constantly playing different characters in school, which my teachers really didn't appreciate."
"I had a lot of outlets where people were like, no, no, keep being weird, like keeping weird, keep being loud," she said. "Keep exploring, exploring storytelling and the way that you like to story tell. And I've been able to make a career out of it."
Even as Miss New York, she refused to fit into a conventional mold.
Pageants started as a way to pay for college, but became a platform for change.
"When I was a Miss Seattle and Miss New York City, or Miss New York, I recognized that I could really get people to listen," said Smith. "And so I advocated for children and families experiencing homelessness.
I've been able to raise thousands and thousands of dollars for shelters across the state of New York and specifically in New York City."
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