All About Bob Marley's 12 Children

Including his adopted daughter, reggae icon Bob Marley had at least 12 children as his own. Although his wife, Rita Marley, helped to raise many of Bob's children, they were not all hers biologically. In fact, it is believed that he had children with at least seven other women. While this might seem like an unconventional family to some, as described by Bob's mother, Cedella Marley Booker, in her 2003 book, "Bob Marley, My Son," in their family having more children was considered a positive thing. "It was no secret that [Marley] had other women in his life and that many of them bore him children ... In this, he was not unusual. Rastas are believers in scripture which instructs us to go forth, be fruitful and multiply," she said. 

While his older children, like Ziggy Marley, lived with their father and were able to spend a lot of time with him, Bob died tragically young at only 36 years old. His younger children didn't have the opportunity to make many memories with him. They have all had to navigate a world in which their father was a legendary figure, either by embracing and carrying on his legacy or working to step out of his long shadow and be known to the world for their own talents and skills.

The year after Bob and Rita Marley were married, they had their first child together: Cedella Marley. As described in an interview with Rolling Stone, Cedella stated that as his oldest child (not including her adopted sister, Sharon) she has always felt a tremendous amount of responsibility for her father's legacy. When she was 10 years old, Bob told her that he wanted her to take over the family business. According to Cedella, at the time she was confused because she only thought of him as a musician. As an adult, she has come to understand that he was always a businessman, too. "Most people overlook that side of Daddy. He started his own record label ...He was the first one to design and wear a Bob Marley T-shirt. He was very savvy," she said. 

Cedella certainly has taken on that responsibility. Today, she is the CEO of the record company Bob Marley founded, the director of the Bob Marley Foundation, and manages the rights to any merchandising of his name and appearance. She has also designed multiple clothing lines, including one named "Catch a Fire" after her father's album, and written several children's books and a stage musical inspired by her father's music.

Stephen Marley, the third child of Rita and Bob Marley, started making music at the age of 6, and sometimes even appeared onstage with his father. When they were children, the rest of the family believed that Stephen was their father's favorite. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Stephen recalled that he and Ziggy Marley once asked a technician at their father's recording studio to leave the microphones on. "We went into the vocal booth and started singing every song of our father's. And when we came out, our father was sitting there listening to us, and we didn't even know the whole time he was there! He didn't say anything, but he didn't leave before we were done," Stephen remembered.

After performing with his siblings in The Melody Makers, Stephen began recording and releasing albums on his own, but he still frequently collaborates on music with his brother Ziggy, and is a director of the nonprofit Ghetto Youth Foundation with brothersDamian and Julian. Between his time in The Melody Makers, solo career, and producing work, Stephen has won eight Grammy Awards. His most recent album, "Old Soul," was released in 2023 and includes a song with his older brother Ziggy.

Rohan Marley is the son of Bob Marley and a young woman named Janet Hunt. As described by Rita Marley in "Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley," by Timothy White, Hunt was a dancer who was unable to raise Rohan. When he was 4 years old, Bob brought his son back to his home so that he could see a dentist and a doctor. Although Rohan didn't live with them full time, he spent a lot of time staying at his father's house. Because he would sometimes get into trouble at school, often getting into fights with other students, Rohan was sent to live with his grandmother.

"I was not born with a golden spoon in my mouth ...," Rohan stated in an interview with Open. "My mother taught me to fend for myself. Sometimes, I would have to search for bottles and sell those bottles to get something to eat. If not bottles, I would find some mangoes, or use a slingshot to hunt birds."

As a young man, Rohan went on tour with The Melody Makers as their bodyguard before a successful football career, beginning with becoming the starting linebacker for the University of Miami Hurricanes. Today, Rohan is an entrepreneur and has worked creating a line of audio products through House of Marley and selling Jamaican coffee as Marley Coffee.

Bob Marley's daughter Karen Marley was born in England to a woman named Janet Bowen, who was never a major part of her child's life. Although Karen was not Rita's biological daughter, she raised her as her own, and Karen has stated that she considers her to be her mother. While many of Bob Marley's children have made continuing their father's legacy a large part of their lives, Karen Marley has spoken about a desire to be known as herself first, rather than simply being one of Bob's daughters. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she explained, "I'm not my dad. I'm Karen. People come to me expressing their like or dislike with what the family is doing. We're not Bob. We're his kids. We try to carry on his legacy, stay true to it as much as possible, that's number one. But at the end of the day we're all individuals, doing our own thing."

Today, Karen Marley is a fashion and interior designer, and although she wants to be recognized as an individual, she still honors her roots. In an interview with Shondaland, Karen explained that she has drawn inspiration from her father's sense of style and passion for the environment. Like many of her siblings, she sometimes collaborates with other members of the Marley family. Most notably, she and Cedella Marley worked together to design the 2012 Jamaican Olympic uniforms, worn by Usain Bolt when he beat his own record for the 100m sprint.

Ky-Mani Marley grew up with his mother, table tennis champion Anita Belnavis, first in a small overcrowded home in Falmouth, Jamaica, and then in Liberty City, Miami, where he regularly witnessed gang violence. Although he always knew that he was Bob Marley's son, Ky-Mani didn't get to know his father or enjoy any of the benefits of being his son. As recounted by Ky-Mani in an interview with Dolce, he was only 5 years old when his father died, and he wasn't able to be at the funeral. He had to watch it on TV instead.

Initially, Ky-Mani feared comparisons to Bob Marley. In an interview with Elle, he stated, "If I was to follow in my father's footsteps, then what would they say? 'Oh, he's trying to be like his dad.' Then if I take a different path, they say, 'He's supposed to be like his father.' ... I just have to be true to myself and true to my art and do what comes naturally to me."

Ky-Mani became a musician, released multiple albums, and has even been nominated for a Grammy. Drawing on both his own childhood experiences and his father's beliefs about unity and togetherness, Ky-Mani founded a charity called Love Over All to help children in poverty.

Makeda Marley is believed to be the youngest of Bob Marley's children, born the same year that Bob Marley died in 1981 to mother Yvette Crichton. Her birth wasn't exactly rejoiced among the Marley clan. Rita didn't want much to do with the baby, according to Bob's mother Cedella Booker in her book "Bob Marley, My Son." In order to ensure Makeda was provided for, Booker ended up being the one to sign the paternity papers. Rita did eventually come around, and by 1992 she was spending summers with her siblings and ultimately brought into the financial fold. 

In 2008, Makeda was arrested for growing marijuana plants in her home, and she received seven years probation in a plea deal in 2010. Today, Makeda is a motivational speaker and DJ, and in 2023 she released a single about the justice system called "Freedom is Not Free," which features a sample of an incoming collect call from Makeda while in jail. The song references Bob Marley, calling him a freedom fighter.