'One Love': All About Bob Marley's 12 Children

Bob Marley

Legendary reggae singer Bob Marley is the subject of the 2024 biopic Bob Marley: One Love. The movie chronicles the singer's rise to fame and the family dynamics in his home, which included fathering at least 12 children (most outside of his marriage to Rita Marley).

Marley's family approves of the movie, and several members were even involved with its production nearly every step of the way. As son Ziggy said on Instagram, "Nothing happens before it’s time and now is the time for the story of our father Bob Marley to be represented in a biopic theatrical release coming in 2024."

"You’ve heard the music and you think you know the man but do you really understand what he went through and what moments shaped him into the person he became. … This film will bring you to witness for the first time what it was like to be around the legend, to see his pain his sorrows his joys and his redemption."

Ziggy, along with sister Cedella and mother Rita, is a producer on the film.

Here is everything to know about Bob Marley's children.

Related: Everything to Know About the New Bob Marley Biopic, Including Who Plays Bob Marley

How many children did Bob Marley have?

Bob Marley was father to at least 12 children, including three biological and two adopted kids with wife Rita Marley (he adopted Rita's daughter Sharon when the two got married in 1966 and her daughter Stephanie, conceived with another man during their marriage, in 1974). Marley had at least seven more children from relationships outside their marriage.

How many sons did Bob Marley have?

Marley had seven sons: Damian, Ziggy, Rohan, Stephen, Ky-Mani, Julian and Robert.

How many daughters did Bob Marley have?

Marley had five daughters: Cedella, Karen, Sharon, Stephanie and Makeda.

How many kids did Bob Marley adopt?

Marley adopted two of his children, Sharon and Stephanie, both of whom were Rita Marley's daughters from other relationships.

Related: Best Bob Marley Quotes

Who was Bob Marley's wife?

Bob Marley was married once, to singer-songwriter Rita Marley, from 1966 until his death from melanoma in 1981. In 1976, Rita was shot in the head in an assassination attempt on her husband. Both survived the shooting.

Who are the mothers of Bob Marley's children

Marley shared five of his children with wife Rita Marley. He had one child each with the following women:

Pat Williams

Janet Hunt

Janet Bowen

Lucy Pounder

Anita Belnavis

Cindy Breakspere

Yvette Crichton

Who are Bob Marley's children?

Sharon Marley (Nov. 23, 1964)

Upon marrying Rita, Bob Marley adopted her daughter from a previous relationship, Sharon, when the child was just over a year old.

Cedella Marley (b. Aug.23, 1967)

Cedella is the oldest child of Bob and Rita Marley. Along with Ziggy and Stephen, she was part of the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which they founded in 1979. The group went on to release 10 albums and even won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album three times.

These days, Cedella is the CEO of Bob Marley Group of Companies and is also the acting director of the Bob Marley Foundation.

David "Ziggy" Marley (b. Oct. 17, 1968)

Ziggy was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to Bob and Rita. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and launched a solo career in 2003. He and his wife, Orly Agai, share four children.

Stephen Marley (April 20, 1972)

The youngest child of Bob and Rita Marley, Stephen also joined in on the family business, both as a member of the Melody Makers and as a solo artist.

Robert "Robbie" Marley (May 16, 1972)

Robbie Marley joined the family in May 1972 and is the son of Pat Williams. His Instagram profile indicates that he currently works as a graphic artist.

Rohan Marley (May 19, 1972)

Rohan is the son of Janet Hunt, who was 16 at the time of the child's birth. He and Lauryn Hill were married for several years and have five children together.

Karen Marley (1973)

Karen, the daughter of Bob Marley and Janet Bowen, is a designer.

Stephanie Marley (1974)

Stephanie is the daughter of Rita and Bob Marley, but her biological father is Owen "Ital Tacky" Stewart. Bob adopted Stephanie as his own daughter.

Julian Marley (June 4, 1975)

Julian is the son of Marley and Lucy Pounder. Like many members of his family, he is a musician and performer.

Ky-Mani Marley (February 26, 1976)

Ky-Mani is the son of Marley and Anita Belnavis. He and his mother moved to Miami, Florida, after Marley died. Like many of his siblings, he was drawn to music and released his first album in 1996.

Damian Marley (July 21, 1978)

Damian is the son of Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, who was crowned Miss World in 1976.

He released his first album in 1996. His third album, Welcome to Jamrock, went gold in 2005. He was in the band SuperHeavy with Mick Jagger from 2011-2015, and he continues to perform to this day.

Makeda Marley (May 30, 1981)

Makeda is the daughter of Bob and Yvette Crichton. She was born weeks after Marley's death.

Do Bob Marley's children approve of his new biopic Bob Marley: One Love

Many members of the family, including Marley's widow and several of his children, approved and worked on the new Bob Marley biopic. In February 2024, Ziggy told People that if his father knew about the film, "He would laugh."

"He would laugh, but one of those proud laughs. He always wanted to make a movie. He was a creative person. He wanted to make a Western. There’s a lot of sides [to him] that people don’t really know. They will see those sides [in One Love] and they will connect with those sides."

Ziggy, Rita and Cedella Marley are all producers of the film. Ziggy also told the outlet that the family approached studios about making the movie.

He explained, "It’s coming from us. And for it to be really true and authentic, then we have to be a part of that to make sure it’s done the right way. I think the message of the movie and the title of the movie is a very powerful idea to put out into the world right now. So I think it’s come at the right moment."

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