He’s one of the greatest, best-known reggae artists of all time… and he might be the previous generation’s Nick Cannon. There are said to be at least 11 of Bob Marley’s children, fathered biologically and adopted.
Marley was born in Nine Mile, Jamaica, on February 6, 1945, and became friends with Bunny Wailer with whom he would eventually form Bob Marley and the Wailers. He married Rita Anderson and converted to Rastafari, where his songs “Redemption Song,” “Jah Live,” and “So Jah S’eh” were influenced by his own beliefs. Other popular songs of his include “Buffalo Soldier,” “No Woman, No Cry,” and “Three Little Birds.”
His life is now the subject of a new biopic titled Bob Marley: One Love. The movie stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the musician while Bob Marley’s son Ziggy produced the film. While debuting the film details at CinemaCon in 2023, Ziggy revealed that the movie will be able to deepen their connection with the late icon and learn more about the adversity he faced in spreading his layered messages of rebellion, love and unity. Ziggy also gave “huge thanks” to the people of Jamaica “who were critical in ensuring the authenticity of this production.”
Bob met the young Alfarita “Rita” Constantia Anderson in the mid-1960s and eventually married in 1966. The two have had a tumultuous, but loving, relationship as they continued their music careers. Both Bob and Rita had affairs and had children with each other people, but they continued to love each other until his death.
Without further ado, here’s what we know about Bob Marley’s children.
Born: November 23, 1964
Sharon is Rita’s daughter from a previous relationship. Bob adopted her after the couple married in 1966. When she was 12 years old, she created the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers in 1979 with three of her siblings. The band released 10 albums, toured globally, and won several Grammys.
Born: August 23, 1967
Cedella Marley is Bob and Rita’s first biological child. She has shown an interest in showbusiness over the years and has appeared in films in 1989’s The Mighty Quinn alongside Denzel Washington and 1993’s Joey Breaker.
Cedella became CEO of Bob’s record label, Tuff Gong International in 2002. Her creativity has spanned to fashion design too. She teamed up with Puma to design Jamaica’s track and field uniforms for the 2012 Olympics — including for decorated sprinter Usain Bolt.
Born: October 17, 1968
Ziggy is a well-known reggae musician, like his father, and has won multiple Grammy Awards. He spoke to Rolling Stone about why the family hadn’t considered a biopic of their father until now. “As human beings in our maturity,” he said, “I don’t think we were at the level yet to take this on.” But starting in 2018, the family decided to take the reins. “They were bringing something to us, and in this case, we brought something to the studio,” he says. “That is the big difference.”
On Kingsley Ben-Adir’s casting as his father Bob, Ziggy said: “He captured a deepness that is really human and is really touching,” he says. “He touches on funny things, too. He did that very well. Not in a mimicking way, not in a cheesy way. There are some scenes that might be closer than others, but overall, he did it artfully. He’s interpreting Bob, not being Bob. Nobody can ever be Bob. This is an artist representing this painting.”
Born: May 16, 1972
Robbie Marley is Bob’s son whom he shares with Pat Williams. He generally keeps a low profile, but in 2012 he spoke to Collider about his father’s legacy and being present during the assassination attempt against Bob. “We heard the gunshots but we didn’t know what it was. I was four,” he said, describing his dad as “quiet, patient, strict.”
Born: May 19, 1972
Rohan Marley was born to Bob and Janet Hunt. He played college football alongside Dwayne Johnson and Ray Lewis at the University of Miami, then went onto play in the Canadian Football League for the Ottawa Rough Riders.
He spoke to Rolling Stone in 2014 about what his father taught him. “You don’t want to do things just for you … My father did not do that. If it’s positive, we can do it. When you have more, you can do more. That’s sustainability,” he said. “That’s my father: There’s no limitations. When I stop, it should be greater than I. The ones that come after I should be greater than I.”
Born: April 20, 1972
Stephen is Bob and Rita’s second child together. Stephen has won many awards, including eight Grammys from 11 nominations including Best Reggae Album.
In 2022, he spoke to People about Bob’s legacy. “My father’s music was his greatest gift as an artist. It has always and will continue to bring many people together from around the globe and from all walks of life. The music and his words have remained relevant to the times in which we are living,” Stephen said. “He made timeless music and represented a way of life that has inspired people to be better, be stronger and be more conscious.”
He continued, “My father was a superhero dad. He could be mild-mannered one minute, and the next minute, he’s off saving the world. I try to honor him every day.”
Born: 1973
Karen Marley is the daughter of Bob and Janet Bowen. She’s kept a low profile for the most part, pursuing a career in fashion design. But, she told Rolling Stone in 2014, “Sometimes when I speak about my dad it is a little touchy for me. I wanted to just live without someone going, ‘Oh, there’s Karen Marley.’ I have to put my name out there because I opened a business … I’m not a musician. I like to be a little bit under the radar.”
Born: August 17, 1974
Stephanie Marley was born to Rita and a man named Ital. She was later adopted by Bob. Per People, Stephanie attended the University of Western Ontario in Canada, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology in the late 90s.
Born: June 4, 1975
Julian Marley was born to Bob and Lucy Pounder. He’s a largely self-taught musician and has released several albums, starting with his debut in 1996. In 2024, Julian won his first Grammy for best reggae album.
Born: February 26, 1976
Ky-Mani Marley was born to Bob and table tennis champion Anita Belnavis. He was 5 years old when Bob died of cancer. In 2022, he expressed how disappointed he was that he wasn’t given an opportunity to audition for the role of his father in the upcoming biopic.
“Nuhbody cyaan play my father better than me; unless ah one ah mi bredda dem, yuh know wha’ ah mean?” he told the Jamaican Observer. “But Bob Marley being from Jamaica, why any of di children or grandchildren were never given di opportunity to even audition?”
The actor who won the role, Kingsley Ben-Adir was born in London and is of mixed-race heritage. His mother is from Trinidad and his father is British. “I’m not taking anything away from this British actor at all. All di credits to him same way, but why we couldn’t find someone in Jamaica? There are so many talented actors and actresses in Jamaica, how come we didn’t search that pool of actors there?” Marley added.
Born: July 21, 1978
Damian Marley was born to Bob and the jazz singer Cindy Breakspeare, just three years before Bob died from cancer at age 36.
Like many of his siblings, Damian is a gifted musician. In 1996, he released his debut album on his family’s Tuff Gong label, Mr. Marley, which was co-produced by his brother Stephen. At the 2006 Grammys, Damien made history when he became the first reggae artist to win two Grammys in the same ceremony. He won Best Reggae Album for Welcome to Jamrock and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the album’s title track.
