LaKeith Stanfield on How Fatherhood Changed Him: ‘A Stronger Love Than I’ve Ever Felt’ (Exclusive)

The actor and musician says being a father of three has helped him heal old wounds

If you ask LaKeith Stanfield, there's nothing like a father's love.

“The connection with my kids is something unlike any I’ve ever had in my life," the actor and singer, 31, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue, revealing he recently married model Kasmere Trice, 29, and the two welcomed a baby together.

Now a father of three, the Atlanta and Get Out star has two daughters under the age of 7 from previous relationships, Stanfield is gearing up to put out new music with his EP Brother coming this summer. Between that passion project and his little ones, he has his hands and his heart full, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm truly concerned about their wellbeing and that I want them to do well, to be well, to feel well in the world, and that's a unique thing," he says of his kids. "I know for me growing up, I didn't always feel like I had that. I didn't really have a figure that was a male that was in my life that I felt I could depend on and count on."

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Related: Lakeith Stanfield Says He Turned to Therapy After 'Judas and the Black Messiah' : Scenes Felt 'Real'

A Southern California native, Stanfield spent his formative years in Victorville, a desert-area town his mother and stepfather moved to in hopes of carving out a better life for him and his siblings. But as crime flooded the community and his family struggled, he turned inward, eventually finding his outlet in high school theater class.

After heading to Hollywood, he was cast as Snoop Dogg in the 2015 hit Straight Outta Compton and has worked steadily since. But fame was no salve for the scars of his childhood, including losing a close friend to gun violence, and for years the actor struggled with severe anxiety and with drinking.

“Sometimes in life it was difficult for me to take care of myself, because I didn’t grow up with a lot of care,” says Stanfield. “But at some point I just realized, I’m tired of not feeling good.” Thanks to therapy, meditation and his kids, he says he’s the best version of himself now. “The unconditional love from my children boosts my self-esteem and provides a strong sense of belonging."

In the past few years, he's experienced career peaks — he was Oscar-nominated for 2021's Judas and the Black Messiah — as well as controversy. In 2021 he apologized after being present in a Clubhouse social media chat room where others made antisemitic comments. "I condemn hate speech and discriminatory views of every kind," he said at the time, calling the comments "abhorrent."

Speaking of social media in general, he says "there have been hard times that I've had where I've felt I've been misrepresented or misunderstood... it's how you handle yourself in those times that matter."

He's determined to make sure his two older children have a solid grounding in self-esteem. "It's so important for my girls to know that they are beautiful people in this world that consistently is trying to tell them otherwise," he says. "I tell them every single day, I don't care how annoying it gets."

And he's eager to give all of his kids the comfort of a father that he felt like he didn't have. “It feels really nice to be able to be that to someone,” he adds. “So many things have changed for the better as a result of having kids. They made me whip myself into shape and helped get my life on track. It's a stronger love than I've ever felt.”

For more on Stanfield, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

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