KJ Smith & Skyh Black Welcome Baby Girl, Thank Tyler Perry

Joyful news from the world of ‘Sistas’! Actors KJ Smith and Skyh Black have welcomed their first child, a beautiful baby girl named Pryde JaNea Black. While the couple is understandably over the moon, their journey to parenthood included a challenging and unexpected turn of events, with a little help from a very special friend.

Smith, who gave birth on October 4th, described the experience of holding her newborn as surreal. “I wake up every day and I’m just like, ‘I have a little being that is here,’” she shared with People magazine. “She looks like a little angel. She’s so precious.” Black is equally smitten, admitting their daughter already has him completely captivated.

A Birth Story That Took an Unexpected Turn

However, the path to meeting Pryde wasn’t smooth. Smith, who had envisioned a natural, serene home birth surrounded by loved ones, found herself in a grueling 48-hour labor that deviated significantly from her plan. “It was really hard because… I was so dead set on having a natural birth, and I just knew it was going to work for me,” she recalled.

Despite her initial optimism, Smith’s maternal intuition kicked in. “I was in so much pain. I was in so much agony… I was like, ‘Something’s not right with my baby,’ and I just knew that,” she explained. This gut feeling prompted her to make a crucial call.

Tyler Perry to the Rescue

That urgent call was to none other than media mogul Tyler Perry, who, despite being reportedly out of the country, answered immediately. “His first question was, ‘What’s wrong?’ [and] his next question was, ‘Where is Skyh?’” Smith recounted. Perry’s swift intervention mobilized the couple’s family and led to a critical change of plans.

Black expressed concerns about the home midwife’s preparedness, stating, “I don’t think our midwife was equipped with how she handled my wife’s birth.” Moments after speaking with Perry, the couple was admitted to Northside Hospital Atlanta. There, medical staff confirmed Smith’s instincts: the baby’s heart rate was dangerously low due to complications from the home birth attempt.

An Emergency C-Section and Deep Gratitude

Thanks to Perry’s urgent call ensuring the hospital staff was aware of their arrival and need for immediate help, Smith was able to receive an epidural and undergo an emergency C-section. “I’m just extremely grateful, and I cry about it every day,” Smith said, reflecting on the care she received. “The team was patient and diligent with me…”

Black feels “forever indebted” to Perry, whom he considers not just a boss but a mentor and close family friend. “He saved my wife and my baby’s life,” he stated, emphasizing Perry’s immediate action that “made it possible” for them to have a healthy daughter.

Smith, who identifies as a “type A” personality, has found that the intense experience has shifted her perspective. “I was so dead set on a certain outcome, and I just feel so blessed every day because I could have lost my life and I could have lost my baby’s life,” she shared. She now emphasizes the risks women take to bring new life into the world and the importance of relinquishing control to a higher power.

• KJ Smith and Skyh Black welcomed their daughter, Pryde JaNea Black.
• The birth was challenging, deviating from their planned home birth.
• Smith’s intuition signaled a problem, leading to a call to Tyler Perry.
• Perry’s intervention facilitated an urgent transfer to Northside Hospital Atlanta.
• An emergency C-section was performed due to the baby’s dangerously low heart rate.
• The couple expressed deep gratitude to Tyler Perry for his pivotal role.