Alfonso Ribeiro Is A Doting Dad To 4 Mixed-Race Kids Whose House Is Filled With ‘A Lot Of Love’

Mar 29, 2023 by apost team

Alfonso Ribeiro is a renowned actor, comedian, dancer, and television personality. He was born on Sept. 21, 1971, in The Bronx borough of New York City. Alfonso began his acting career at the age of 8, appearing in Broadway productions such as “The Tap Dance Kid” and "The Will Rogers Follies."

However, Alfonso’s big break came in 1984 when he was cast as a dancer in Michael Jackson's Pepsi commercial. He went on to work with Jackson again in his “Captain EO” film and became known for his impressive dance moves and charismatic personality.

In 1990, Alfonso landed his breakout role as Carlton Banks in the popular television series "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." His portrayal of the preppy and uptight Banks became one of the most memorable characters on the show and cemented Alfonso’s place in pop culture history. Alfonso’s performance earned him multiple awards and nominations, including an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. "The Carlton," a dance with humorously exaggerated movements developed by Alfonso specifically for the character and set to Tom Jones’s “It’s Not Unusual,” has become synonymous with the character’s name and is one of the most iconic aspects of the character’s portrayal.

After “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” ended in 1996, Alfonso continued to work in the entertainment industry, appearing in numerous television shows and films. He also became a popular television host, hosting shows such as “Catch 21,” “Spell-Mageddon” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

As well as being an all-around entertaining actor, Alfonso is a true family man. He puts a lot of energy into spending time with his wife and children and has a very open and healthy philosophy about their upbringing.

We all know Alfonso as Carlton Banks from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” — a role that planted him firmly in our hearts. He now continues to bring us entertainment through his role as the host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” This is the face of his public life, and the main role of his private life is being a loving husband and father to four children.

He has three children with his wife, Angela Unkrich. The actor was previously married to Robin Stapler, and they have one daughter together, Sienna Ribeiro, who is 20 years old.

Alfonso told Closer Weekly that Sienna harbors ambitions to follow in his footsteps and break into the entertainment industry. However, she “doesn’t want to be (known as) Alfonso Ribeiro’s kid,” he told the outlet. Thus, Alfonso is determined to allow Sienna to “find that success on her own,” but won’t be far if she ever needs “someone to maybe help her cross the finish line.”

The proud papa said while “Sienna definitely has the bug. She’s auditioning and she’s working,” he will keep things “hands-off.” He added, “I’m always peeking in. But I’m allowing her to find her place in what she wants to do.”

On Oct. 7, 2022, Alfonso shared a loving birthday tribute to his daughter on Instagram alongside a photo of Sienna rocking some stunning curls. The caption read:

“20 years ago today you brought a new sense of happiness to my life. You are an incredible young woman today. I’m so proud of you sienna. You are in your second year of college and shot your first movie this summer. I can’t wait to see all of the wonderful things you will do in your life. I love you to the moon and back. Happy Birthday.”

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Alfonso shares his other three children with his second wife Unkrich. Their two sons are 9-year-old Alfonso Jr. and 7-year-old Anders, and their 3-year-old daughter, Ava.

They welcomed their first child together on Oct. 27, 2013. According to Us Weekly, a rep for the star said after the birth of Alfonso Jr., the family was “all healthy, happy, and exhausted.” Alfonso celebrated his ninth birthday with an endearing birthday post, whose caption read: “He is the best older brother to Anders and Ava. Incredibly talented at everything he does. So proud of who he is and can’t wait to see the man he will become.”

Anders came next on Apr. 30, 2015. After welcoming his second son, Alfonso told In Touch:

“Angela and baby are doing amazing. Big brother AJ, sister Sienna and I are over the moon. Couldn’t be happier.”

Alfonso welcomed baby No. 4 on May 13, 2019, in the form of daughter Ava. The doting dad posted a photo of his newborn on Instagram with the caption, “Ava Sue Ribeiro finally decided to send @mrsangelaribeiro1 to the hospital on Mother’s Day and came into our world early yesterday morning. Both Ava and Mommy are doing great.”

Alfonso’s love and adoration for his children were on full display in a video posted on Christmas Eve 2022, while on a holiday. In the clip, all his kids could be seen showing their best dance moves to the “family vacation song,” none other than “Despacito.” Ava was the picture of an angel with her flowing blonde curls, while her brothers showed they inherited their dad’s slick dance moves. The most adorable sight was of Alfonso dancing with Ava, picking her up and twirling her around in a sweet show of affection.

It’s clear how devoted 51-year-old Ribeiro is to his family. They spend a lot of time together and do loads of activities, including taking memorable trips to places such as Disney World.

The trips they go on are not purely for leisure, though. The actor told Closer Weekly:

“Yes, you can read about things in books but nothing lands and sticks with you throughout your life than personal experience.”

Ribeiro is a hands-on dad and isn’t afraid to show his children his fun-loving side. He is also a fan of showing his adoration for his children. For example, on National Daughters’ day, he dedicated a post to expressing how “incredible” Sienna is.

Ribeiro is also smitten with little Ava. He shared a super sweet video of her falling asleep on him and called it “the best going to sleep video ever.” He prides himself on having a loving household. He once said, “There’s a lot of love in our house,” according to the Daily Mail.

There is a lot to learn from Ribeiro when it comes to fatherhood. He has a very specific stance on how he has chosen to raise his kids. He told Life of Dad that he is a strong believer that it is important to teach his children to be independent, resilient, and confident and to always strive to be the best they can be.  

He also believes that being a physical and emotional presence to your children is the best way to bring them up. His advice to all fathers was:

“No matter how much you may Skype or FaceTime nothing replaces being there. To me, that is I think the one piece of advice I would give. It is to do everything you can to make your family a priority.”

Isn’t Alfonso Ribeiro’s family just so adorable? What do you make of this doting dad’s parenting style? Let us know and be sure to pass this along to family and friends who love their families too.