Introduction

When people search “Eian Burton mother” they’re usually trying to understand the family story behind LeVar Burton, the actor best known for Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Reading Rainbow. That story includes a chapter many fans don’t know much about: the early-1980s paternity suit and custody dispute involving Chimara P. Smith, Eian’s biological mother.

This article collects the reliable facts, flags which details come from court or contemporary news accounts, and explains Chimara’s role in Eian’s upbringing and how that history shaped Eian’s later choice to live a private, service-oriented life. Where appropriate, I cite primary coverage (news archives) and recent profiles so you can see which details are well-supported and which are reported by lifestyle outlets.

Who is Eian Burton’s mother?

Name: Chimara P. Smith (public coverage uses this form)
Known for: Biological mother of Eian Burton (born 1980) and—because of the 1980s litigation—participant in a widely reported paternity and custody dispute with actor LeVar Burton.

Chimara was a private figure before and after the litigation. The media attention focused on the legal questions and on LeVar Burton’s sudden discovery of fatherhood, rather than on Chimara’s personal biography. As a result, most reputable sources report only the facts connected to the paternity suit, the custody proceedings and the 1984 allegation that led to UPI coverage.

Quick facts (at-a-glance)

Field	Fact
Full name (reported)	Chimara P. Smith
Known for	Mother of Eian Burton (born 1980)
Connection	Former partner of LeVar Burton (paternity suit 1983)
Public profile	Low; keeps personal life private
Notable historical events	1983 court-ordered paternity test; 1984 custody dispute / alleged kidnapping claim (reported)

Early life and background

Public records and mainstream coverage contain very little about Chimara’s early life, education, or professional background. Most published material about her focuses narrowly on her role in Eian’s early life and the related legal proceedings. Because Chimara deliberately maintained privacy, responsible reporting relies on the public court and news record rather than speculation about her biography.

When writing about Chimara it’s important to separate two things: (1) verified events that appear in contemporaneous news accounts and court filings (paternity test, custody arrangements, the 1984 dispute), and (2) lifestyle or retrospective pieces that paraphrase those events while adding interpretation. This article prioritizes the first category and clearly flags reported or secondary claims.

Relationship with LeVar Burton — timeline and context

LeVar Burton’s career was rising rapidly at the time he became connected to Eian’s life: he had just starred as Kunta Kinte in Roots (1977) and was moving into other roles and public visibility. The relationship timeline relevant to Chimara and Eian:

• 1980: Eian is born. Contemporary reports indicate the child was born in 1980.
• 1983: A court-ordered paternity test established LeVar Burton as Eian’s biological father; Burton filed in court to obtain joint custody and offered to pay child support. The Washington Post covered the case in June 1983, noting Burton’s willingness to assume responsibility after tests confirmed paternity.
• 1984: A public dispute erupted in which Chimara accused LeVar Burton of taking their son and not returning him after a planned two-week trip; UPI and other outlets reported the allegation and the surrounding facts. The case received national attention and was resolved through the courts and public statements.

Important context from the contemporary reporting: when Burton learned he was the father, he sought legal action to formalize custody and visitation; he volunteered to pay support (reported at $600/month in the Washington Post piece) and later publicized steps he was taking to be involved in Eian’s life. Those actions were widely reported and form the core of the public record.

The paternity and custody dispute — what the historical record shows

The early-1980s litigation is the most documented public episode involving Chimara P. Smith:

• Paternity confirmation (1983): A court-ordered paternity test confirmed LeVar Burton as the biological father. After the results, Burton petitioned for joint legal custody and offered financial support. The Washington Post covered the story in June 1983 and quoted Burton’s attorney and Burton’s statement about his reasons for seeking custody.
• Child-support and court actions (1984): UPI archives and other news wires reported on child-support payments and court filings in early 1984; one UPI story noted a payment of $8,863 in overdue child support as reported to the press. These are part of the contemporaneous legal record. (UPI)
• 1984 allegation of kidnapping: In June 1984 Chimara publicly accused Burton of taking their son on a trip and not returning him; UPI reported her allegation that Burton had taken Eian to Africa (a claim denied by Burton’s representatives who said he had caretaker arrangements). The story received wide attention for its dramatic elements but the public record shows the dispute played out in court and in press statements rather than as a criminal prosecution.

How to interpret that record: the available archival reporting shows a contested and emotional co-parenting dispute that was covered by national news—child support payments, paternity confirmation, and the 1984 accusation were all widely reported. The press coverage focused less on Chimara’s personal biography than on the legal facts and statements from attorneys and representatives.

Chimara’s role in Eian Burton’s life

Contemporary accounts indicate the following:

• Primary caregiver in early years: Eian was raised by his mother for the first years of his life until the paternity suit and legal resolution that followed. Several modern profiles of Eian and retrospective articles repeat the same core fact: he was raised primarily by his mother until the mid-1980s, when LeVar’s involvement became formalized through the courts.
• Protector of privacy: After the litigation concluded, Chimara appears to have maintained a low public profile. Reporters and biographers writing decades later emphasize her privacy and the fact that she did not seek publicity. That posture likely shaped Eian’s own preference for a quiet life (see below).
• Influence on values: While direct evidence of parenting techniques is understandably private, Eian’s later career—special education teaching and community-focused work—has been described in profiles as embodying values of service and care that could reasonably be attributed to his upbringing. Retrospective profiles often link Chimara’s early caregiving role to Eian’s choices without asserting unverifiable personal details.

Public and media presence — Chimara vs. the celebrity

One striking feature of this family story is contrast:

• LeVar Burton: high visibility actor and educational advocate with decades of public life, awards, and media presence.
• Chimara P. Smith: intentionally private; after the early court cases she did not pursue publicity and is rarely quoted or profiled in detail.

That asymmetry explains why so much of what people learn about Chimara comes from legal records, court filings, or news wire reports rather than lifestyle interviews. For journalists and researchers this matters: the public record is dense about the legal facts but sparse about personal biography, so responsible reporting avoids unfounded speculation about Chimara’s life outside her role as Eian’s mother.

Relationship with LeVar Burton today (what we know)

Available reporting indicates that LeVar Burton later married Stephanie Cozart Burton (they have a daughter, Mica, born 1994), and that his family life evolved separately from the earlier dispute. Most retrospective articles and profiles frame the original paternity and custody case as a chapter that closed decades ago; they emphasize that LeVar sought to be involved as a parent after paternity confirmation. The public record does not document ongoing acrimony in later decades.

As with many family stories involving public figures, the long-term private relationships among parents and children are not fully visible; reporters typically rely on statements from the parties if and when they choose to speak. In the absence of such statements, fair coverage limits itself to documented events and reputable secondary reporting.

Impact on Eian Burton’s path — from private childhood to public service

Eian’s life choices—reported by multiple recent profiles—offer a contrast to his father’s celebrity:

• Career: Eian is frequently described in contemporary profiles as a special education teacher and youth coach in the Bay Area (Campbell / Santa Clara County), focusing on supporting children with diverse learning needs. Several recent biographical pieces repeat this career summary.
• Public profile: Unlike his father, Eian maintains a low online presence. Recent articles note that his social accounts are minimal or private; he prioritizes the classroom and local community engagement over national visibility.
• Why it matters: Profiles often interpret Eian’s career choice as a testament to values of service and stability—attributes consistent with having been raised by a private, caring primary caregiver. Those interpretations are reasonable, but they remain interpretive: they draw connections between upbringing and vocation without claiming intimate knowledge of Chimara’s parenting beyond the public record.

Facts & figures from the public record (1983–1984)

• Paternity test: Court-ordered test confirmed LeVar Burton’s paternity in June 1983. The Washington Post reported the case and Burton’s subsequent legal actions.
• Child support / payments: UPI reported payment of $8,863 in overdue child support in early 1984, per public filings at the time.
• Kidnapping allegation: In June 1984 Chimara publicly alleged Burton had taken their child on a trip and not returned him; UPI and other wire services covered the allegation and responses from Burton’s representatives. The matter generated national headlines but was resolved in court and through public statements.

These figures are part of the contemporaneous record and help anchor the chronology of events. They are not assessments of character—just legal and factual markers that were reported by national newspapers and wire services at the time.

Chimara P. Smith’s privacy: why respectful coverage matters

A few practical and ethical points when writing about Chimara:

1. She is a private person. Most reputable outlets treat her as such; beyond the court events there is very little documented personal biography. Avoid sensational or speculative claims.
2. Children of private figures deserve protection. Eian, though connected to a famous father, has chosen a private, service-oriented life—respecting that choice is important.
3. Rely on primary sources. For the 1980s events, UPI and The Washington Post are primary contemporaneous sources. Later lifestyle summaries are useful for context but should be labeled as reported.

Legacy and influence — Chimara’s quieter imprint

Chimara’s public legacy is subtle: rather than press interviews or a public platform, her influence appears in the life Eian built—work in education, local coaching and youth development, and a preference for privacy. That kind of legacy—raising a child who chooses to serve quietly—is harder to quantify than awards or public roles, but it can be no less profound.

Modern profiles of Eian often observe the contrast between his father’s public life and his own community-focused career. In that contrast Chimara’s values—privacy, caregiving, and a focus on stability—are a plausible formative influence even if not spelled out in public documents.

Conclusion

Chimara P. Smith remains, by design, a private figure in a story many fans of LeVar Burton find compelling. The historical record shows she was the primary caregiver of Eian in his early years, engaged in legal action to establish paternity and custody, and involved in a highly publicized dispute in 1984. After those events she stepped away from the media spotlight.

What we can say confidently: the paternity test of June 1983 confirmed LeVar Burton’s paternity, the mid-1980s proceedings generated significant news coverage including child-support filings and an allegation that received national wire coverage, and Eian grew into a life of service and privacy—an outcome that reflects the quieter, stabilizing influence a primary caregiver can have.

FAQs — Quick answers (sourced & cautious)

1. Who is Eian Burton’s mother?
Eian’s mother is Chimara P. Smith, a private person who was involved in a paternity suit and custody dispute with LeVar Burton in the early 1980s.

2. When was LeVar Burton confirmed as Eian’s father?
A court-ordered paternity test confirmed LeVar Burton’s paternity in June 1983, as reported by The Washington Post.

3. Was there a kidnapping allegation?
In June 1984 Chimara publicly alleged that LeVar Burton had not returned their son after a planned visit; the story was widely reported by UPI and other outlets at the time. The matter was handled through the courts and public statements.

4. What does Chimara do now?
There is no widely published, authoritative information about Chimara’s current profession or residence; she has maintained privacy since the public litigation. Contemporary sources emphasize her low profile.

5. How did the events affect Eian’s life?
Eian later pursued a career in special education and youth coaching, preferring a private, local life rather than following his father into entertainment—an outcome many profiles link to his upbringing by his mother and the family dynamics of his childhood. (This is based on reported biographical profiles of Eian.)

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