Jesse Williams' Wife and Children Explained: Everything to Know About His New Marriage and Baby No. 3
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Long before welcoming his new baby boy, Williams had built his adult identity around fatherhood. His first marriage to real estate broker Aryn Drake-Lee produced two children: Sadie, born in December 2013, and Maceo, born in August 2015. Drake-Lee met Williams when he was still an inner-city public school teacher in Philadelphia, years before he landed his career-defining television roles.
Their split proved notoriously difficult. The legal battle over child support, custody schedules, and parental communication dragged through California courts from 2017 until formal settlement agreements were finalized in October 2020. At one point, judicial orders mandated that both parents enroll in high-conflict parenting courses to streamline decision-making for their children.
In subsequent years, Williams frequently adjusted his professional itinerary to prioritize his school-age kids. When he starred in the 2022 Broadway revival of Richard Greenberg’s Take Me Out, earning a Tony nomination for his stage performance, he frequently flew between New York and Los Angeles to honor his custody commitments. The legal friction subsided significantly by 2024, leaving a stable foundation for introducing a third sibling into the household.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
