Who Is Queen Latifah's Son, Rebel?

Queen Latifah's relationship with former L.A. Lakers' Girl Eboni Nichols has been kept as quiet and under wraps as possible since they met on "Dancing with the Stars" and it was rumored they were dating. Although the couple remains relatively secretive about the more intimate details of their relationship, one thing we do know is that they have a 5-year-old son.

Three years after their son, Rebel, was born, Latifah, who leads the cast of "The Equalizer," was photographed for the first time with her then-toddler while they enjoyed a day together shopping in Los Angeles, per Hollywood Life. Since then, sightings of Rebel have been rather scarce, save for occasional public appearances at events like a Harlem Globetrotters game, and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Though Latifah has done her best to keep her and her son's life private, the impact Rebel has had on her is no secret. 

Prior to her son, Rebel's, birth, Queen Latifah was reportedly eager to have a kid after years of procrastinating. "I think I'm ready," she told E! News in March 2016. "I can't say what God has for me, but you will see. You'll see when I'm lugging the baby on the hip that there is actually a youngin' around here." She later expressed her desire to adopt, telling People in 2017 she felt ready to start a family. "I've always envisioned myself with a big family," she said. "I'm a late bloomer." In the same interview, she also highlighted the importance of adoption, not just for babies, but children of all ages in need of homes. "You see these wonderful, beautiful kids who need homes, and I gravitate toward that," she said.

Her wish finally came true in 2019, when Rebel was born. Since she became a mom, Latifah, who was reportedly worth $70 million in 2023, has found nothing is worth more than being a parent. "Latifah has never been so full of life!" an anonymous source told RadarOnline in September 2019. "Eboni and the baby have given Latifah something very special to live for." Despite the source's claims, Latifah acknowledged that parenthood shouldn't be about her or the benefits raising a son has on her own life. Rather, the goal of being a mom, for her, is to help her child grow and prosper. "To me, it's the most unselfish thing you could do to be a parent," she told People. "It's not about you, at all. It's about what you can give to support this child growing into adulthood."