Wesley Snipes, 59, has been a movie icon for over 30 years. Since his first big screen appearance in the Goldie Hawn sports comedy Wildcats in 1986, he’s gone on to star in tons of classic, beloved including the crime drama New Jack City and the sci-fi thriller Blade. Throughout his career, Wesley has been married twice. His first wife was April Dubois from 1985 to 1990, whom he had his eldest son with, and his current wife Nakyung “Nikki” Park, whom he has four kids with. Wesley has opened up about how fatherhood affected the way that he played the character General Izzi in the comedy Coming 2 America in a March 2021 interview with Fatherly. “General Izzi is a reflection of my children and their influence and impact on me. The timing, humor, the way they played things, the nuances. What you’re seeing in my joy is a reflection of them and their effect on me,” he said.
Find out more about all of Wesley’s kids here!
Jelani Asar Snipes
Wesley had his eldest son with his first wife in 1988. Jelani Asar, 34, is Wesley’s only son with April. While he’s mostly kept our of the spotlight, he did make a cameo in one of his dad’s movies when he was still just a toddler. He was cast as the one-year-old Miles in a montage for the Spike Lee–directed drama Mo’ Better Blues, which premiered in 1990. Wesley and April divorced in 1990, and his son has mostly kept private since the split. The appearance in Mo’ Better Blues appears to have been his only time in the film industry. Jelani is now the Chief Marketing Officer for a meta marketing company, according to his LinkedIn.
Akehnaten Kihwa-T Snipes
Wesley and Nikki had their eldest child in Akehnaten, 22, in 2000, a few years before they got married, via Buzz South Africa. While Details are scarce on April, Wesley’s wife now is a painter and visual artist, and she regularly posts photos of of her work on Instagram. All four of Wesley’s kids with Nikki follow the same naming pattern, where their middle names have a “T” after them. The couple have seemed to have kept their children away from the spotlight, and not many details are known about their kids, outside of their names. Their son’s name seems to be taken from an Egyptian Pharaoh, who lived from 1372 to 1335 BCE.
Iset Jua-T Snipes
Wesley had his only daughter right before marrying his now-wife. Nikki gave birth to Iset Jua-T, 20, in 2001. . It’s clear that Wesley and Nikki think of their daughter and oldest child together as royalty, because her first name is an Ancient Egyptian word meaning “(She) of the throne,” via Definitions.Net. While the couple may keep their relationship and kids private, it’s clear that Wesley is a loving father. He’s tweeted out a video of different dads helping their kids and protecting them from harm in January 2018, and he wrote that “Every day is Father’s Day,” along with prayer hands emojis.
Alaafia Jehu-T Snipes
Wesley and Nikki tied the knot in 2003, and the year after they had their first son together, Alaafia, 17, in 2004. Like with his older sister, his parents seem to keep their son out of the spotlight. Even though he may also be private, his name also has a special meaning. His name appears to be inspired by the Arabic name “Alafia,” which means “Peace,” according to NamesFolder. Even though his kids are kept private, Wesley did say that his wife and kids made cameos during one scene of his movie Coming 2 America in a March 2021 interview with Fatherly, but he didn’t divulge many details. “And here’s a secret: My family is actually in it. We got them in as a cameo. We’ll see if people can find them,” he said. “They’re all in one scene.”
Alimayu Moa-T
Nikki gave birth to the pair’s son Alimayu, 14, in March 2007. Like his older siblings, Alimayu is kept very private with his family, but he also has a traditional name. Alimayu is an Ethiopian name, which translates to “in honor of God,” according to NameBerry. Shortly after Alimayu was born, Wesley was sentenced to three years in prison for tax fraud. After spending time away, the actor opened up about how the time locked up made him so much more appreciative of his family in a 2020 interview with The Guardian. “The biggest thing I got from it was learning the value of time and how we often squander it,” he said. “I understand that very clearly now, having been away from my family and loved ones two and a half years.”