Martin Lawrence's 3 Kids: All About Jasmin, Iyanna and Amara
Martin Lawrence is a proud girl dad to three daughters
Martin Lawrence is a proud girl dad to three daughters
Martin Lawrence first rose to comedy fame in the 1990s, hosting HBO's Def Comedy Jam, appearing in the Bad Boys franchise and Big Momma's House and starring in his original sitcom Martin. Off-screen, however, Lawrence plays the role of dad to three adult daughters: Jasmin Page, 28, Iyanna Faith, 24, and Amara Trinity, 22.
Lawrence's eldest daughter, Jasmin, came from his first marriage to Patricia Southall, former Miss Virginia USA. He shares daughters Iyanna and Amara with his second wife, Shamicka Gibbs, a TV personality and entrepreneur whom he married in 2010.
In 2021, Gibbs posted a touching Father's Day tribute on Instagram, writing: "Our girls are so blessed to have you as their daddy. They get their funny, their honesty, their loyalty, and their kindness from you."
Jasmin, Iyanna and Amara joined their dad at the Los Angeles premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die in May 2024. Lawrence's girlfriend, Angie Gonzalez, was also in attendance.
Here's everything to know about Martin Lawrence's three daughters.
Jasmin Lawrence, 28
Jasmin Page Lawrence was born on Jan. 15, 1996, to Lawrence and his then-wife Southall.
She attended Duke University, where she graduated with honors in 2018. Her father celebrated the accomplishment on Instagram, writing, "Congrats to my 1st born. I'm so proud of you Jasmin. Keep doin your thing. I love you so much!"
Jasmin now lives in Los Angeles and is following in her father's footsteps by pursuing a career in acting. Her on-screen credits include Bad Boys for Life – a sequel to her father's famous film – Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules and Family Time.
She is currently in a relationship with Eric Murphy, the son of famed comedian Eddie Murphy. The couple went public with their relationship in 2021 when Jasmin wished Eric a happy birthday on Instagram. "I'm so incredibly blessed to know you, to love you, and to have you by my side," she wrote, while Eric commented, "Head over heels in LOVE with YOU."
Lawrence once joked about his daughter potentially conceiving a "comedy super-baby" with Eddie's son on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, noting that he and Eddie "haven't talked about" their kids' relationship and "kind of just stay out of their business and let them do their own thing, and respect their thing."
"I'm gonna try to get Eddie to pay for it," Lawrence jokingly added of their kids' future wedding.
In honor of her dad's birthday in 2022, Jasmin penned a heartfelt message on Instagram about her childhood. "Children of divorced parents sometimes feel the absence of one parent, but I've never felt that way. That's a testament to the amazing man that you are," she wrote in part. The actress went on to detail the support and love Lawrence has given her through the years.
Iyanna Lawrence, 24
In 1997, Lawrence split with Southall and began dating Gibbs. Three years later, Gibbs gave birth to the couple's first child, Iyanna Faith Lawrence, on Nov. 6, 2000.
After graduating from high school in 2018, Iyanna enrolled in Sarah Lawrence College in New York, where she studied creative writing.
Gibbs posted a photo of her and Lawrence dropping Iyanna off at college, writing in the caption, "Today was one of the hardest days of my life. I left my baby girl @iyanna_faith at school to start her new chapter of college life. Your father @martinlawrence and I are so proud of the young woman that you have become. We know that you are in God's hands."
In addition to writing, Iyanna is also passionate about activism, as evidenced by her mom's Instagram. In 2018, prior to her graduation, Iyanna spoke about her experience being a Black student at a predominantly white school for a panel at her high school. Gibbs posted a video of the speech on Instagram and wrote about how proud she was of her daughter. Earlier that year, Gibbs also posted a picture of Iyanna participating in a women's march in L.A.
Iyanna has a close relationship with her soon-to-be stepmom, Moradfar, as well. In 2020, Moradfar posted a sweet birthday tribute to Iyanna on Instagram, writing, "Celebrating you, my beauty @iyanna_faith and just so happy to see you blossom into the most vibrant, warm, sincere and gifted little woman lol! Your heart is pure- I wish you nothing but the ALL best this world has to give that you can handle. I love you Yanni poo!!!"
Amara Lawrence, 22
Amara Trinity Lawrence, the second child of Lawrence and Gibbs, was born on Aug. 20, 2002. She graduated from high school in 2021, posing for sweet snaps with her parents and sister at her graduation ceremony.
The 22-year-old is an aspiring musician and songwriter. In the last two years, Amara has shared two original tracks on Soundcloud, "Long time" and "To Myself." In 2019, Gibbs posted a video of her daughter singing, captioned, "I am in Awe Every Time I Hear Our Baby Girl Sing." Amara is also skilled at guitar and her mom has posted various photos and videos of her playing through the years.
She has the support of her dad's fiancée as well. In a sweet birthday post, Moradfar gushed about her soon-to-be stepdaughter, writing, "I can't wait to see where her talents take her. Her passion for music is as big as her gentle heart."
In June 2020, Amara posted a Father's Day tribute to Lawrence on her Instagram, writing, "You have [always] put your heart in to everything you do even if it takes more time than you expect. I'm so blessed to say that I was raised by such a humble and loving person who has always tried to do the best he could to make sure we could accomplish anything we put our minds to."