- Jennifer Chiba is a 57-year-old Japanese-American psychologist who has been linked to the murder of American singer, Steven Paul Smith, famously known as Elliott Smith
- She was accused to have been in an abusive relationship with the late singer and once pulled a knife on him
- Chiba is currently a Marriage and Family Therapist, who runs a private practice in Los Angeles, California while working at Maryvale, Rosemead, California
Jennifer Chiba is a Japanese-American singer and psychologist, famous for being romantically involved with the late American singer, Elliott Smith. She became a person of interest after the death of the singer, who was her boyfriend at the time.
The former singer is a now Marriage and Family Therapist at Maryvale, a residential program for girls while running a private practice in Los Angeles, California, where she lives with her husband, Alex Whomsley.
Jennifer Chiba’s Early Life and Biography
Jennifer Chiba was born on 17th June 1967, in Tokyo, Japan, to a Japanese Father, Hiroyasu Chiba, and an American mother, Sharon Martha Wee. Her parents got married in Becker, Minessota in 1966. She was raised in Texas alongside her siblings Miho Chiba Yates and Alexander Masao Chiba.
She attended Trinity University, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and later, the Loyola Marymount University for her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Art Therapy. Chiba became a certified marriage and family therapist in 1995.
In 2003, The Japanese singer joined a band called “Happy Ending”, an alternative punk rock explosion band after moving to LA. Her band consisted of four members and was signed under the Org Record Label. They toured the US with Elliot Smith, who would later become Jennifer’s boyfriend. The band toured as a support act for the singer, and in return, he paid their bills and produced their singles. Sadly, he died before they could release their debut album.
Jennifer Chiba was with Elliott Smith the Night he Died
Elliott Smith was an American singer who died on October 21, 2003. Before his death, Elliott’s life was characterized by drug usage and heavy drinking. He was later diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Jennifer started a relationship with Elliott and while their relationship lasted, it was considered toxic as they were constantly at each other’s throats. Allegedly, Jennifer pulled a knife on Elliott during one of their episodes. He narrated the story to his sound engineer after disappearing for 3 days.
After being pronounced dead from what presumably looked like suicide, Jennifer became a person of interest because she was with Elliott on the night of his death.
Jennifer Chiba revealed that on the night of Elliott’s death, they had an argument, after which she locked herself in the bathroom to take a shower and did come out after he knocked on the door.
Some moments later, she heard a scream, and after stepping out, she saw Elliott with a knife in his chest. He stabbed himself. She immediately pulled out the knife and called 911. Sadly, Elliott was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Jennifer claimed that she found a suicide note from the singer after his death, which read:
I’m so sorry- Love Elliott. God Forgive me.
When the news of his death came out, most people were not surprised because he had a long battle with drug abuse and had threatened to kill himself on several occasions. However, his fans still suspect that there are unknown truths about Jennifer Chiba and her involvement in his death.
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Where is the “Happy Endings” Singer Now?
After the death of her boyfriend, Jennifer went into a relationship with a fan of the late singer. They were said to have started off as friends but soon after, the relationship metamorphosed into a romantic relationship. Jennifer moved in with him and they lived together as lovers.
Unfortunately, the relationship did not last, as the boyfriend claimed that Jennifer became manipulative and violent towards him. He added that she would often threaten him to commit suicide anytime they had issues and guilt-tripped him at every opportunity.
Jennifer Chiba dusted off her certificates and got her license as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She started to work as a Therapist at Maryvale, a residential treatment for girls in Rosemead, California in 2011. Additionally, Chiba started her private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist and a Registered Art Therapist, where she carries out Psychotherapy and Art therapy on children, families, and individuals.
The therapist has also gone ahead to get married to Alex Whomsley. The couple lives a quiet life in Los Angeles, California, away from the media.
Though her role in the death of singer, Elliott Smith, has not been ascertained, Jennifer Chiba has moved on from the bad publicity and is creating a valuable life for herself as a psychologist.
