Kenya Barris is one proud father!
The writer and producer, 49, chatted exclusively with PEOPLE about the importance of family at the Diarra from Detroit premiere at Citizen’s News in Los Angeles earlier this week.
When asked what it is like to balance fatherhood with his illustrious film and television career, Kenya — who shares six children with Dr. Rania “Rainbow” Edwards-Barris — joked, “I’m not a father to them anymore.”
“No, I’m just kidding,” he continued. “I’m really lucky. My daughter works with me on one of my shows. My other daughters [are] interns. My son’s coming there.”
“They’re a little bit older, and they’re kind of coming into their own,” Kenya added. “They’ve really become like my best friends.”
Kenya and Rainbow are the proud parents to six children — Kaleigh, Brooklyn, Jalen, Lamar, Liberia and Nana.The pair filed to end their marriage in June 2022 after being together for more than 20 years.
The Black-ish creator filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court at the time, citing “irreconcilable differences,” according to a court document obtained by PEOPLE.
The legal paperwork also said the pair had been separated since September 2020. In addition to requesting joint and legal custody of their kids, Kenya also indicated that spousal support would be paid to his ex, per the document.
The filing didn’t mark the first time that the couple had moved to legally sever their marriage, as Rainbow first filed for divorce in 2014, though she withdrew her request less than a year later after the duo reconciled, according to the Associated Press.
The outlet also reported that Kenya filed for divorce in 2019, before later calling it off.
The first three episodes of Diarra from Detroit are currently streaming on BET+. New episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays. (People)