Wesley Snipes' wife and family — A look at the actor's marriage and children

Wesley Snipes' wife and family — A look at the actor's marriage and children

Wesley Snipes' wife and family have remained an important part of the actor's life beyond Hollywood. Snipes has been married to Nakyung "Nikki" Park for over two decades, and together they share four children: Akhenaten, Iset, Alaafia, and Alimayu. Snipes is a father of five, including his eldest son, Jelani, from his first marriage.

Wesley Snipes at Beverly Hills and Wesley Snipes and family at Spike Lee's 20 Anniversary Celebration
Wesley Snipes attends The BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party (L), and Wesley Snipes with his wife and kids attend Spike Lee's 20th Anniversary Celebration (R). Photo: Matt, Johnny Nunez (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Wesley Snipes has been married to South Korean painter Nakyung "Nikki" Park since 2003.
  • Wesley and Nikki have four children: Akhenaten Kihwa-T, Iset Jua-T, Alaafia Jehu-T, and Alimayu Moa-T.
  • The actor has a son, Jelani Asar Snipes, from his first marriage to April Dubois.
  • Wesley Snipes' five children made a cameo appearance in the 2021 film Coming 2 America.

Profile summary

Full name

Wesley Trent Snipes

Gender

Male

Date of birth

31 July 1962

Age

63 years old (as of March 2026)

Zodiac sign

Leo

Place of birth

Orlando, Florida, United States

Current residence

New Jersey, United States

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

African-American

Religion

Islam

Sexuality

Straight

Height in feet

5'9"

Height in centimetres

175

Weight in pounds

172

Weight in kilograms

78

Hair colour

Black

Eye colour

Dark brown

Father

Wesley R. Snipes

Mother

Marian Snipes

Marital status

Married

Wife

April Dubois

Children

5

School

Jones High School

College

Los Angeles Southwest College

Profession

Actor, martial artist, producer

Instagram

@realwesleysnipes

Twitter

@wesleysnipes

Facebook

@RealWesleySnipes

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Meet Wesley Snipes' wife and family

The American actor is married to Nakyung "Nikki" Park, a painter and artist born on 1 September 1977 in Seoul, South Korea. She is the daughter of the late Park Cheol, a South Korean TV director.

During her adolescence, Nakyung moved with her family to Vancouver, Canada. There, she attended Vancouver Island University and majored in graphic design. She later studied at Emily Carr University, exploring painting, fashion merchandising, makeup, and film production.

Wesley's wife started art at age five, creating her first notable piece, a yellow sunflower in oil pastel. She has since exhibited her work with the Modu Korean Artists Collective in the Western Canada Group Exhibition.

US actor Wesley Snipes and his wife Nikki Park at the Venice film festival
US actor Wesley Snipes and his wife Nikki Park pose as they arrive for the screening of "Brooklyn's finest". Photo: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The American actor Snipes and Park married on 17 March 2003 in Hackensack, New Jersey, and have four children together. It is Wesley Snipes' second marriage after his five-year marriage to April Dubois, with whom he shares a son.

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Actor Wesley's wife, Nakyung "Nikki" Park, has been a steadfast source of support throughout his life. During Snipes' three-year prison sentence for tax-related charges, from 2010 to 2013, Nikki remained out of the public eye to raise their children. She also famously wrote a letter defending her husband's character to friends and family.

Wesley is devoted to his children and enjoys being a father. During a 2021 interview with Fatherly, he said,

I love being a dad; it keeps me fit and inspired, and children are so funny. They always supply you with acting material!

In a rare on-screen moment, all five of Snipes' kids appeared together in the 2021 film Coming 2 America. Snipes told Collider in 2023:

My family is actually in it. We got them in as a cameo. We'll see if people can find them.
Wesley Snipes at Hollywood and Highland
Wesley Snipes attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards. Photo: David Livingston
Source: Getty Images

The actor also shared with Fatherly how his children influenced his work in the film, saying:

General Izzi is a reflection of my children and their impact on me. The timing, humour, the way they played things, the nuances—you're seeing my joy as a reflection of them.

Although he occasionally includes his children in his projects, Snipes generally keeps his family out of the public eye. In an online quote featured on Quotefancy, he explained:

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I've been trying to keep the private life private. Not being savvy or trained on how to do good interviews like a politician, I thought it was wiser to follow my mother's advice: If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all.

Here's what is known about Wesley Snipes' children.

Jelani Asar Snipes

Jelani Asar Snipes with his dad at a Syfy event
Jelani Asar Snipes posing with his dad, Wesley Snipes. Photo: @50centRealFan (modified by author)
Source: Facebook

Jelani Asar Snipes, born in 1988, is the eldest son of actor Wesley Snipes and his first wife, April Dubois. His parents divorced when he was two years old.

Jelani made his on-screen debut as a one-year-old, portraying Miles in the 1990 Spike Lee-directed drama Mo Better Blues. He starred alongside his father and Denzel Washington. After largely staying out of the spotlight, he reunited with his dad on-screen in 2021, appearing in Coming 2 America.

Akhenaten Kihwa-T Snipes

Akhenaten Kihwa‑T Snipes is the eldest son of actor Wesley Snipes and his wife, Nakyung "Nikki" Park. He was born in 2000, making him 26 years old as of 2026. Much of Akhenaten's life has been kept private.

Akhenaten did, however, make a brief on‑screen cameo with his family in his father's 2021 film Coming 2 America.

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Iset Jua-T Snipes

Wesley Snipes' kids, Akhenaten, Iset, Alaafia, and Alimayu walking with their dad on the streets
Wesley Snipes' kids, Akhenaten, Iset, Alaafia, and Alimayu on the streets. Photo: @thecitycelebs (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Iset Jua‑T Snipes, born around 2001, is the only daughter of actor Wesley Snipes and his wife, Nakyung "Nikki" Park. She has appeared publicly on rare occasions, including a family outing in New York City in April 2008, when she was photographed with her father and siblings. Iset also appeared alongside her brothers in her father's 2021 comedy, Coming 2 America.

Alaafia Jehu-T Snipes

Alaafia Jehu‑T Snipes is Wesley Snipes's fourth child. He was born around 2004, roughly a year after his parents' 2003 marriage. Alaafia appeared on the red carpet at Spike Lee's 20th Anniversary Celebration Benefit in 2006 with his father and siblings.

Years later, he made his film debut in his father's 2021 movie, Coming 2 America, appearing in a short family scene.

Alimayu Moa-T Snipes

Wesley Snipes at The Beverly Hilton Hotel
Wesley Snipes attends the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Axelle
Source: Getty Images

Alimayu Moa-T Snipes is the youngest child of actor Wesley Snipes and his wife, Nakyung "Nikki" Park. Born in March 2007, he is 19 years old as of 2026.

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Alaafia's early childhood coincided with a difficult period for the family after His father was convicted of tax-related offences in 2008 and later served about two and a half years in prison. Before reporting to prison, the actor asked a federal judge to delay his surrender until after the holidays.

According to court filings, he noted that the reporting date fell "in the middle of the holiday season" while he had responsibilities as a father to his young children, including Alimayu.

Years later, Snipes said the experience changed his outlook on life. In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, he reflected:

The biggest thing I got from it was learning the value of time and how we often squander it ... I understand that very clearly now, having been away from my family and loved ones for two and a half years.

Like his siblings, Alimayu has largely remained out of the public spotlight. However, he also briefly appeared with his family in the 2021 film Coming 2 America.

FAQs

  1. Who is Wesley Snipes? He is an American actor, martial artist, and producer.
  2. Is Wesley Snipes still married to his wife? Wesley is still married to his wife, Nakyung Park, whom he wed in 2003.
  3. What does Wesley Snipes' wife do for a living? His wife is a painter and visual artist.
  4. Who are the five children of Wesley Snipes? His five children are Jelani, Akhenaten, Iset, Alaafia, and Alimayu.
  5. Who is Wesley Snipes' daughter? The actor has one daughter, Iset Jua-T Snipes.
  6. Who is the mother of Wesley Snipes' eldest son? The mother of his eldest son, Jelani Asar Snipes, is his first wife, April Dubois.
  7. How long have Wesley Snipes and Nakyung Park been married? The couple has been married since 2003, so as of 2026, they have been married for 23 years.

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Wesley Snipes' wife and family have been a cornerstone of his life off-screen. Married to Nakyung "Nikki" Park since 2003, the couple has raised five children, Jelani Asar, Iset Jua‑T, Alaafia Jehu‑T, Alimayu Moa‑T, and Akhenaten, while maintaining a largely private life.

Legit.ng recently published an article about Gary Owen's kids. Gary Owen has five children. Since his widely reported 2021 divorce from Kenya Duke, his relationship with his kids has been strained.

Gary Owen shares two biological children, Austin and Kennedy, with his ex-wife, Kenya Duke, while Emilio is Kenya's son from an earlier marriage, whom he adopted. He also has twin sons with his current wife, Brianna Owen.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Isaac Wangethi avatar

Isaac Wangethi (Lifestyle writer) Isaac Wangethi has been a content writer at Legit since September 2021. He has gained valuable experience working on various projects, such as celebrity biographies, lifestyle, news and many more. Isaac won the Writer of the Year Award on Legit in 2023. He earned a Bsc. of Science in Information Technology in 2017 from the University of Nairobi and a Higher Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Gretsa University in 2021. In 2023, Isaac finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In March 2024, he completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: Wangethin@gmail.com

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