Holly Robinson Peete Heartbroken by the Passing of Lil Jon’s Son: How Their Families Are Connected

Longtime Hallmark star Holly Robinson Peete sent messages of “love and strength” to rapper Lil Jon on February 6, 2026, after the rapper confirmed the death of his son, 27-year-old Nathan Smith, who attended college with Robinson Peete’s daughter.

The police department in Milton, Georgia, began searching for Smith on February 3, reporting that he had “run out of his house and has been missing since,” according to Billboard. But authorities announced that his body was found midday on February 6 in a pond near his home.

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Holly Robinson Peete Says Her Daughter Considered Lil Jon’s Son to Be an ‘Awesome Human Being’

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Lil Jon confirmed the death of his son, whom he shared with his estranged wife Nicole Smith, hours after Nathan’s body was found, writing that he was “extremely heartbroken” over their “tragic loss.”

“His mother [Nicole Smith] and I are devastated,” Lil Jon wrote on the first of several Instagram slides, calling Nathan “the kindest human being you would ever meet.”

Robinson Peete commented on Lil Jon’s post, noting that her daughter Ryan, whom she shares with former NFL quarterback Rodner Peete, also talked about Nathan’s kind heart.

Robinson Peete wrote, “🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽We are sending you our deepest condolences. As you know, our daughter Ryan went to NYU with Nathan. She said he was one of the kindest people she met there. We are so deeply sorry for your loss please let us know if there’s anything we can do during this time. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽”

The “Hats Off to Love” star also shared a news story about Nathan’s death in her Instagram Stories, and wrote, “Noooooooooooo!!! 💔💔💔”

Robinson Peete also shared a slide from Lil Jon’s post in which he wrote, “He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and a graduate of NYU.”

The actress wrote over the slide, “Our daughter Ryan attended NYU with Nathan and only spoke so highly about him. That he was just an awesome human being. Sending so much love and strength out to his loving family…💔💔💔”

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Milton Police Department Says Divers Found Lil Jon’s Son

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On February 6, the Milton Police Department posted a lengthy statement on Facebook, noting that they received a “report of a missing adult in the area” and that responding officers determined Nathan “had left his residence under unusual circumstances and could not be located.

Search efforts with multiple “partner agencies” took place over several days, the statement said, after which “teams expanded the search to include a pond in Mayfield Park near Smith’s Milton residence.”

At approximately 11:53 a.m. on February 6, the statement continued, “divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department located and recovered a body from the pond. At the time of its statement, the department said “no foul play” was suspected, but that they would treat it as “an open and active investigation.”

“We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time,” the statement said. “The department respectfully asks the community and members of the media to honor the family’s request for privacy as they grieve and navigate this tragedy.”