Forest Whitaker is a father to one son and three daughters, two of whom he welcomed with his late ex-wife Keisha Nash.

True Whitaker, Forest Whitaker, Sonnet Whitaker, and Keisha Whitaker attend Lee Daniels’ “The Butler” New York Premiere on August 5, 2013 in New York City. Photo:

The Big George Foreman actor welcomed his first 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 and only son, Ocean, 34, in 1990 with a previous partner. In 1996, Forest married his now late ex-wife Keisha Nash and the two welcomed daughters Sonnet, 28, and True, 26, in 1996 and 1998, respectively. Nash also had a daughter, Autumn, 32, from a previous relationship, whom Forest also helped raise as his own.

Forest Whitaker, wife Keisha Whitaker, daughters Autumn Whitaker, Sonnet Whitaker and True Whitaker arrive at the Kissable Couture Launch Party on November 13, 2007 in West Hollywood, California.

Forest and Nash had two 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren from previous relationships before they got married

Forest Whitaker with son Ocean Whitaker and daughter.

Ocean is a movie editor who has worked on a few projects, including Montebello, The Game of Silence and Another Try. Apart from accompanying his dad to the White House for the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s march in August 2013, Ocean has remained out of the public eye.

Autumn has also primarily stayed private, though she has accompanied Forest to numerous red carpets throughout his career, including The Butler premiere in 2013 and the Huffington Post pre-inaugural ball in 2009.

Forest was the more lenient parent when the kids were growing up

Forest Whitaker with his daughters True and Autumn attend Sundance Institute At Sundown on June 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

In a 2009 interview with Parade, Forest admitted that Nash was the stricter parent when his kids were young — and he was the one who let things slide by.

His 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren played an active role in helping him prepare for his roles

Forest Whitaker and his daughter.

When Forest was cast in the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren’s movie Where The Wild Things Are, he enlisted the help of his brood of kids to help him prepare. Forest voiced Ira, who, though he was a gentle “Wild Thing,” was still a beast and needed to growl and grunt.

To prepare, Forest practiced his animal noises at home with his kids, who were already familiar with the story, he told Parade.

While Ira was a friendlier role, Forest has had experience with less welcoming characters, like when he played dictator Idi Amin in 2006’s The Last King of Scotland.

Forest isn’t overly protective when it comes to his daughters’ dating lives

Forest Whitaker with his daughters, Sonnet and True.

While promoting his 2010 film Our Family Wedding, Forest told Cleveland.com that he was relatively relaxed when it came to rules surrounding dating, especially for his daughters.

Sonnet is a singer

Sonnet Whitaker and actor Forest Whitaker attend the “Black Nativity” premiere on November 18, 2013 in New York City.

“I was very idealistic when I was younger; I read poetry books, I didn’t care about working or making money,” Forest told Paste magazine. “I would rather sleep on the couch than do something I didn’t believe in … And even though I sheltered my kids from the business, they are very much artistic spirits too.”

In October 2022, the proud dad announced his daughter put out an album, N.F.S., and encouraged his followers to listen.

True starred alongside her dad in an episode of The Godfather of Harlem 

Forest Whitaker (L) and daughter True Whitaker attend the “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” launch event after party on December 13, 2016 in London, England.

However, after graduating, she started dipping her toe into acting work, including a role in an episode of her dad’s show, The Godfather of Harlem.

“I acted in the last season of Godfather of Harlem, starring my dad. I had a character named Sandra. She was definitely a challenge, but I loved every second of it and, hopefully, because it’s shooting right now, she’ll come back,” she told the New York Post in July 2022.