14-04-2025
Tanner's mom from ‘Love on the Spectrum' shares scene that made her ‘uncomfortable'
Tanner Smith, one of the breakout personalities from the Netflix series ' Love on the Spectrum,' encapsulates his life philosophy with a simple phrase in his Instagram bio: 'Bring the joy.'
At 26, Smith brings that same buoyant spirit to his job in maintenance at the Shepherd Hotel in downtown Clemson, South Carolina, where he greets guests with warmth and enthusiasm.
In a recent phone interview, his mother, Nicci Smith — a former nurse turned fitness instructor — recalls casually stumbling upon her son in the middle of a FaceTime call with actor Mark Wahlberg.
Wahlberg, she explains, has a daughter enrolled at Clemson University, and Tanner struck up a conversation with him in the lobby of the Shepherd Hotel, where they became fast friends.
'Tanner can talk to anyone,' Nicci tells TODAY, her voice brimming with pride. There was a time when Tanner — diagnosed with autism at 2-and-a-half — wouldn't make eye contact with teachers and peers. As child, while the other kids rushed to the slide, Tanner would quietly drift toward the swings.
'If it wasn't me or a family member, he would turn his face away,' Nicci says. 'The world is seeing happy, social Tanner now, but there were years when he didn't play with other children. I couldn't take him to basketball games because the buzzers were too loud. And every time we went out as a family, we were all on edge — wondering what might upset Tanner.'
Looking at Tanner today, Nicci is still in disbelief. A graduate of Clemson University's LifeSkills program, he's living with roommates, thriving in a job that he loves and stepping bravely into the spotlight — putting himself out there as he searches for love on streaming television.
'If you had told me when Tanner was a little boy that he would be doing now what he's doing now,' she says, 'he's a freaking miracle.'
The date that made her squirm
In Season 3 of 'Love on the Spectrum,' viewers — including Nicci — tuned in as Tanner embarked on a blind date with Shyann at a goat farm. Though the two bonded over their shared love of animals, the exchange was punctuated by awkward pauses. Ultimately, Tanner realized their personalities didn't quite align; he was looking for someone outgoing and talkative, while Shyann was more reserved and soft-spoken.
'To me, that date was very uncomfortable, because I know him,' Nicci says. 'I felt bad for both of them — I think she had a bit of stage fright and didn't know what to say, and he felt like it was his responsibility to carry the conversation but didn't know how to draw her out.'
'Everybody sees Tanner as the happy, joyful guy,' she says. 'But when you're autistic, anxiety is always there — and he was really struggling. I was ready for the goat date to be over. It just wasn't clicking. But he learned from it, and he did a good job.'
