Taryn Delanie Smith might have won the title of Miss New York in 2022, but these days she is repping her hometown in a whole new way. Over on TikTok, Smith plays Denise, a gum-chewing, white bathrobe-wearing receptionist ushering folks to the pearly gates—all with a quintessential New York accent and nonchalance.
As you can probably imagine, most of the videos in this delightful series lean toward comedy. I mean, Smith's receptionist impression is 100% spot-on, and many of her greatest hits involve talking about ghost outfits, for crying out loud. However, after one fan’s heartfelt request, things took a deeper turn.
The request was fairly simple. A viewer asked if Denise could greet their late mother Geraldine in the afterlife. Smith obliged, and according to Insider, she emailed the viewer asking for more details. A few days later, Denise was seen giving Gerry the warmest welcome into heaven. It’s really the sweetest thing.
The sincerity of Smith’s video left viewers touched (and maybe a bit wrecked).
“This just made me cry sitting in my car in a drive thru. That was so sweet of you to make this video,” one person commented.
“This is a moment of genuine humanity. The love you’ve shown to someone I assume you have never known and take the time to help a soul heal. Beautiful,” added another.
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