Morgan Freeman's children include a step-granddaughter he raised, who was tragically killed in 2015
Morgan Freeman is one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors, but his role as a father has been far more complicated than his on-screen persona suggests. Morgan Freeman's children are four in number: Alfonso, Saifoulaye, Deena, and Morgana, each born from a different relationship. He also helped raise his step-granddaughter, E'Dena Hines, whom he loved as his own. Her tragic murder in 2015 deeply affected the Freeman family.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Profile summary
- What has Morgan Freeman said about fatherhood?
- Frequently asked questions
- Quick facts
Key takeaways
- Morgan Freeman has four children: sons Alfonso and Saifoulaye, adopted daughter Deena, and daughter Morgana.
- Freeman was largely absent during his children's early lives, admitting: "I was busy trying to be an actor, and the two didn't really go together in my youth."
- His step-granddaughter, E'Dena Hines, was stabbed to death in Manhattan in August 2015, aged 33.
- Her killer, boyfriend Lamar Davenport, was found guilty in connection with her death and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
- Freeman's eldest son, Alfonso, is also an actor, appearing in The Shawshank Redemption and Se7en alongside his father.
Profile summary
Name | Alfonso Freeman | Saifoulaye Freeman | Deena Freeman | Morgana Freeman |
Born | 13 September 1959 | Early 1960s | Unknown | 1970 |
Mother | Loletha Adkins | Unknown | Jeanette Adair Bradshaw | Jeanette Adair Bradshaw |
Relation to Morgan | Biological son | Biological son | Adopted daughter | Biological daughter |
Occupation | Actor | Private | Private | Charity executive |
Spouse(s) | Cynthia Gafford (div.); Larcenia Letice | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Children | Alfonso II, Joshua, Donovan | Unknown | E'Dena Hines (dec.) | Unknown |
Alfonso Freeman: the son who followed his father into acting
Alfonso, Morgan's firstborn, was born in 1959 to Loletha Adkins, who primarily raised him until he was an adult. Morgan was not present during those formative years. Freeman left Adkins once he discovered she was pregnant.
Alfonso later told USA Today in 2007, as reported by Scott Bowles:
I grew up watching The Electric Company and Easy Reader. I had no idea that was my dad.
Alfonso first connected with his famous father by telephone in 1979, while working as a telemarketer. They eventually met in person in 1984, when Morgan was in Los Angeles to film the mini-series The Atlanta Child Murders.
Alfonso's acting career
Alfonso's full birth name is Alfonso Rene Freeman. In 1993, he began acting, gaining his first on-camera role as the Fresh Fish Con in The Shawshank Redemption. He also featured in Se7en alongside his father in the 1990s, and continued to act throughout the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, with credited roles in The West Wing and The Bucket List, among others.
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Alfonso's family life
The American actor Alfonso was married to Cynthia Gafford from 1982 to 1989. The pair had three children together—Joshua, Donovan, and Alfonso Jr. He later married Larcenia Letice in 1994.
Saifoulaye Freeman: the private second son
Saifoulaye, Morgan's second son, was born shortly after Alfonso, though his mother's identity is not publicly known. Morgan similarly did not have a relationship with him when he was growing up.
Morgan explained his complicated early fatherhood in a 2012 interview with Esquire:
I went to New York and I ran into another situation.
Saifoulaye has remained almost entirely out of the public eye, with very little verified information available about his personal life or career.
Deena Freeman and E'Dena Hines: a family tragedy
Who is Deena Freeman?
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During his first marriage to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw in 1967, Morgan Freeman adopted Bradshaw's daughter from a previous relationship, Deena. Deena welcomed her daughter, E'Dena Hines, in 1982. Later, as Deena got on her feet, Morgan and his second wife, Myrna Colley-Lee, took E'Dena in and legally adopted her.
E'Dena Hines: the step-granddaughter Morgan raised
While E'Dena was technically Morgan's step-granddaughter (as the daughter of his adopted stepdaughter), raising and legally adopting her created a close-knit bond within the family. Freeman's publicist confirmed that because of this relationship, Freeman always referred to her simply as his granddaughter.
E'Dena was an aspiring actress. She played a small role in the film 5 Flights Up, alongside Freeman and Diane Keaton. By the summer of 2015, she had returned to New York City after winning a role in an independent film. Her future seemed full of promise.
The murder of E'Dena Hines
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Police responding to a 911 call at around 3 a.m. found 33-year-old E'Dena Hines lying on the street with multiple stab wounds to the chest. Hines was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital. Her boyfriend, Lamar Davenport, 30, was charged on Monday with second-degree murder. He was taken into police custody at the scene, then transferred to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centre for mental evaluation.
Davenport stabbed her with a knife more than two dozen times while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, according to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
Morgan issued a heartbroken statement following her death. In a statement via CNN, he said:
The world will never know her artistry and talent, and how much she had to offer. Her friends and family were fortunate enough to have known what she meant as a person.
The verdict and sentencing
Davenport was found guilty following a trial at the New York State Supreme Court in May 2018. He was sentenced to 20 years in state prison.
Morgana Freeman: the daughter running her father's charities
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Morgana, Morgan's youngest daughter, was born in 1971. Morgan, her namesake, has always publicly supported her father, attending numerous premieres for his films and running his Mississippi-based charities.
Although she is based in Atlanta, she graduated from Spelman College in 1993 and later owned several beauty salons. She now works as a Chief Vision Officer for Morgan's charity, the SonEdna Foundation, which focuses on empowering the Mississippi Delta through lifelong learning, community collaboration, and economic development.
What has Morgan Freeman said about fatherhood?
Morgan has been candid about his shortcomings as a young father. He told The Telegraph in 2014:
I'm not sure fatherhood changed me. It took a while for me to become a father. I was busy trying to be an actor, and the two didn't really go together in my youth.
He later added that he was more involved in his daughters' lives:
"I'm not a hands-on grandfather.
Morgan Freeman's net worth
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Morgan Freeman is an American actor, director, film producer, and narrator with a net worth of $250 million. His wealth comes from multiple streams:
- Over the years, Freeman commanded impressive paychecks, including roughly $5 million for Bruce Almighty and over $10 million from The Dark Knight trilogy.
- His narration contracts typically pay around $2 million each, and he still receives long-term residuals from films like The Shawshank Redemption and Million Dollar Baby.
- He co-founded Revelations Entertainment, a production company focused on insightful storytelling.
Reports suggest his net worth would have been even higher if he hadn't been required to pay his ex-wife, Myrna Colley-Lee, a divorce settlement of $100 million to $200 million in 2010.
Latest news
Morgan Freeman recently told The Guardian that he is "pissed off" at AI recreating his iconic voice without his consent, saying:
Well, I tell you, my lawyers have been very, very busy. They have already found cases and are pursuing them?
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Freeman has also been making press rounds in support of his role in Now You See Me: Now You Don't, having appeared in all three films in the franchise.
On the question of retirement, he told The Guardian:
Sometimes the idea of retirement would float past me but, as soon as my agent says there's a job or somebody wants you, the whole thing just boils back into where it was yesterday.
On television, Freeman joined Taylor Sheridan's Lioness as U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins and continued in the role through the show's third season.
Frequently asked questions
- How many children does Morgan Freeman have? Freeman has four children: sons Alfonso and Saifoulaye, adopted daughter Deena, and biological daughter Morgana.
- Who is E'Dena Hines? E'Dena Hines was the granddaughter of Freeman's first wife, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw. Morgan Freeman helped raise her and always called her his granddaughter.
- How did E'Dena Hines die? E'Dena Hines was killed in New York City by her boyfriend, Lamar Davenport, in August 2015. He stabbed her with a knife more than two dozen times while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
- What happened to Lamar Davenport? Davenport was found guilty of causing the death following a trial at the New York State Supreme Court in May 2018, and received a 20-year prison sentence.
- Is Alfonso Freeman also an actor? Yes. Alfonso Rene Freeman is an American actor who has appeared in films including The Shawshank Redemption, Seven, Nurse Betty, and The Bucket List.
- What is Morgana Freeman's job? Morgana serves as Chief Vision Officer for Morgan's SonEdna Foundation, which supports community development in the Mississippi Delta.
- What is Morgan Freeman's net worth? As of 2025, Morgan Freeman's net worth is estimated to be around $250 million.
- Is Morgan Freeman retiring? At 88, Freeman has opened up about possible retirement plans, but has said the appetite to keep working is still there.
Quick facts
- Morgan Freeman has four children from multiple relationships.
- His eldest son, Alfonso, appeared alongside him in The Shawshank Redemption (1994).
- Freeman won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Million Dollar Baby (2004).
- He co-founded Revelations Entertainment in 1996 with producer Lori McCreary.
- Freeman actively supports Mississippi Delta communities through the SonEdna Foundation.
Morgan Freeman's children have followed different paths, while his blended family has endured moments of both reconnection and profound loss. His step-granddaughter, E'Dena Hines, whom he helped raise, was found dead in 2015. Beyond his celebrated career, Freeman's family story reflects resilience, love and the lasting bonds that shaped his life.
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Source: Legit.ng
