Dr. Dre is one of the most influential rappers and music producers of our time. However, success and fame are not enough to ward off family drama. And with children and baby mamas, more isn’t always merrier. Dr. Dre has nine children born to six different women. Here’s a complete look at his family, including the tragedies and contention they have faced.
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His Oldest Daughter Claims He Refuses To Help Her Financially
Dr. Dre’s oldest daughter, LaTanya Johnson, was born in 1983. She’s the oldest of three daughters that Dre has with an ex-girlfriend, Lisa Johnson, though the rapper has never publicly admitted that he’s the father of the younger two (more on that in a minute). LaTanya was just five years old when her parents split.
LaTanya is estranged from her famous father and recently told DailyMail.com that she hasn’t seen him in 18 years. A single mother of four kids, she says she’s heartbroken that her dad has never met her children. “I’m just trying to communicate with him and see if he wants to talk to his grandkids…My kids are old enough to know who he is. They are in shock that he doesn’t want anything to do with them.”
LaTanya has also been trying to get in touch with her dad because she’s fallen on hard times. The 39-year-old says she’s deeply in debt and has been working odd jobs at places like Uber Eats and DoorDash just to stay afloat. She also says she’s been forced to spend most nights sleeping in her car while her kids stay with friends. LaTanya even created a GoFundMe page to help her raise money for housing.
While LaTanya admits that her multi-millionaire father has helped her financially in the past, she says he’s now turning his back on her. “I’m homeless and I’ve been reaching out to my dad for help,” she told DailyMail.com. “His lawyer has said that my dad doesn’t want to help me because I’ve spoken about him in the press. I feel like I’m damned if I do, I’m damned if I don’t.”
He Has Not Confirmed That He’s The Father Of Two Of His Alleged Daughters
In a 2010 YouTube interview, Lisa Johnson revealed that she was just 14 years old when she met Dr. Dre (he was 16) and just 15 years old when she gave birth to LaTanya in 1983. She also claims that Dr. Dre is the father of her two other children: LaTanya’s younger sisters, LaToya and Ashley. However, Dr. Dre has never confirmed this publicly and has only acknowledged his paternity in regards to LaTanya.
LaToya and Ashley keep a low public profile, and not much is known about them other than their (alleged) daddy Dre.
His Second Son, Andre Jr., Passed Away At Only 20 Years Old
In 1988, Dr. Dre had his sixth child, Andre Jr., with then-girlfriend Jenita Porter. The couple split soon after his birth, and according to the Los Angeles Times, Porter had to file a lawsuit against Dre to get him to pay $5,000 a month in child support.
Tragically, Andre Jr. died in August of 2008 at the young age of 20. His mother found him unresponsive in his bed at home in Los Angeles, after a night out with friends. The death was ruled to be the accidental result of a morphine and heroin overdose.
While it’s not clear just how close Dr. Dre was with his late son, the “Forgot About Dre” rapper was heartbroken over his loss. After Andre Jr.’s death was announced, Dre issued the following statement through his publicist. “Dr. Dre is mourning the loss of his son. Please respect his family’s grief and privacy at this time.”
Three Of Dr. Dre’s Children Have Followed His Footsteps Into The Entertainment Industry
His Oldest Son, Curtis, Is Both A Rapper And An Actor
Dr. Dre’s first child, Curtis Young, was born in 1981 when Dre was just 16 years old. Curtis’s mother, Cassandra Joy Greene, was Dre’s high school sweetheart and only 15 years old at the time. Greene raised Curtis on her own and eventually married another man—Curtis didn’t know Dre was his real father until he was 12 years old.
“It was really hard because I had to figure out how I could meet him. I couldn’t just meet him,” Young explained in an interview with XXL. “My [stepfather] that raised me was there for me and he really didn’t want that for my life. Then when my mom separated from him, that’s when I started moving forward with it, at the age of 15. I started trying to meet him and hiring lawyers, whatever I could do. It was rough. It was really hard to finally get the DNA test and meet him.”
Since 2006, Young has been pursuing his own career as a rapper under the name Hood Surgeon. In 2021, he scored his first big acting gig in the movie Charge It to the Game. In addition to starring in the film, Young composed original music for the movie.
Today, Young says he has a tight relationship with his dad. “It’s been good,” he told XXL. “We’re both working. I was already working and pursuing my music before I knew who my father was, and now even more so, now that I know. I always want to paint him in the best light that I can. I just put God first and hope that it works for me. Those are the shoes that I walk in.”
Young also has a family of his own. He’s currently married to a woman named Vanessa and has two sons.
His Second-Youngest Child Is A Music Producer
Truice Young was born in 1997. His mother is Nicole Young, who was married to Dre from 1996 until 2021. Truice grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from the University of South Carolina. Now 25, he works as a music producer and audio engineer and posts frequently on Instagram.
Truly Young Is An Aspiring Musician
Born in 2001, Truly Young is Dr. Dre’s youngest child. She’s Truice’s full sister and grew up with the family intact—Dr. Dre and Nicole Young were married for over 23 years before divorcing in 2021.
Truly is following in her dad’s footsteps as an aspiring artist, but has insisted on teaching herself to sing and play guitar so as not to ride on her father’s coattails. “My parents offered to give me lessons, but I really wanted to learn myself,” she explained in a 2017 interview with Vogue.
But Truly does credit her parents with giving her the space and encouragement she needed to explore her creative side. “My mom and dad allowed me to try anything without fear of being judged,” she told Vogue.
In 2019, Truly was accepted into the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Two Of His Children Prefer To Stay Out Of The Spotlight
Tyra Young Is Dr. Dre’s Most Private Child
Not all of Dr. Dre’s kids are eager to follow their father’s footsteps into the limelight. Tyra Young, who is the rapper’s third child and second daughter, was born in 1984. Reportedly, she was born to another woman while Dre was in a relationship with Lisa Johnson. Most publications say the women is unidentified, however journalist Ben Westhoff has reported that her name is LaVetta Washington.
Very little is known about Tyra—she has never spoken publicly about being the daughter of Dr. Dre and does not appear to have any social media accounts.
Despite Having Two Famous Parents, Marcel Is Keeping It Low-Key
Marcel is Dr. Dre’s seventh child whom he had with singer Michel’le in 1991. Dre and Michel’le were together from 1987 until 1996, and much of their relationship was rocky and plagued with alleged abuse. In fact, Michel’le said she was relieved when she learned she was not a character in Dre’s 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton, which covered some of the time period they were together.
“Why would Dre put me in it?” Michel’le said of the film in a 2015 interview with Complex. “I was just a quiet girlfriend who got beat on and told to sit down and shut up.”
In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Dr. Dre acknowledged Michel’le’s claims of abuse, saying,” I made some f*cking horrible mistakes in my life. I was young, f*cking stupid. I would say all the allegations aren’t true—some of them are. Those are some of the things that I would like to take back…But I paid for those mistakes, and there’s no way in hell that I will ever make another mistake like that again.”
Michel’le has been very protective of Marcel’s privacy over the years. And today, as a very grown up 31 year old, Marcel has done an excellent job of avoiding the spotlight himself. Other than his age, not much is known about Dr. Dre’s seventh child.