Miss USA 2020: Who is Allie LaForce's husband Joe Smith? Here's all about the Houston Astros pitcher
The Miss USA 2020 event, which was supposed to be held in spring but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be held live on November 9, 2020 from the Exhibition Centre and the Soundstage at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. The Miss USA pageant will feature a performance by former 'American Idol' contestant Haley Reinhart while Cheslie Kryst and Christian Murphy will serve as backstage commentators. It will be hosted by Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, the presenter on 'American Ninja Warrior', and Allie LaForce.
LaForce, a popular journalist, model, and beauty pageant titleholder herself, is well-known as a reporter for Turner Sports, covering 'NBA on TNT'. Previously, she has been the lead reporter for SEC college football games, a courtside reporter for college basketball games, and the host of 'We Need to Talk' on the CBS Sports Network. LaForce also worked as a broadcast sports anchor and reporter for FOX affiliate WJW. She won a 2011 Emmy award for anchoring FOX 8's 'Friday Night Touchdown' high school football show and was Miss Teen USA in 2005. She has also made a guest appearance in the NBC soap opera 'Passions'. Married to MLB relief pitcher Joe Smith, here's all you need to know about her Houston Astros pitcher husband.
Who is Joe Smith?
Joe Smith, a professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB), previously played for the New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays. Smith, who attended Wright State University, was drafted by the Mets in the third round of the 2006 Major League Baseball before making his debut in 2007.
In 2012, Smith's mother was diagnosed with Huntington's disease; the condition that leads to the death of nerve cells in the brain. Smith has a 50% chance of inheriting the condition. This has inspired both Smith and LaForce to dedicate much of their free time to raising awareness for their organization HelpCureHD.org. Set up by Smith and LaForce, the organization provides funding for couples to go through the expensive PGD-IVF process as a way to stop the disease from continuing to future generations as it is a highly genetic condition. HelpCureHD.org has become one of the country's premier organizations for Huntington's disease and has been featured on ESPN, Good Morning America, MLB Network, and many local media outlets.