DMX had at least 15 children with nine different women. That’s the number most widely reported, and it’s supported by court filings from his estate case in Westchester County. But even that number comes with caveats. The estate initially listed 14 legally recognized children, a fifteenth woman came forward months after his death claiming to be his daughter, and DMX himself said in a 2020 Christmas interview that he had 17 kids. Not 15. Seventeen.
The gap between 14 and 17 tells you something about Earl Simmons’s life, how much of it played out in courtrooms, paternity tests, and child support battles, and how much of it he carried privately.
QUICK FACTS
- Number of children: At least 15 confirmed; DMX claimed 17
- Mothers: Nine known women
- Children with ex-wife Tashera Simmons: Four (Xavier, Tacoma, Sean, Praise Mary Ella)
- Youngest children: Twin boys Aidyn and K’ydn, born December 2019
- Estate status: No will; three sons named temporary administrators
Who Are DMX’s Children with Tashera Simmons?
DMX married his childhood friend Tashera Simmons in 1999. They had four children together before divorcing in 2014, after years of infidelity and his ongoing addiction.
Xavier Simmons is the eldest, born in 1992, before the marriage. He’s followed his father into entertainment as a singer, songwriter, and author. After DMX’s death, Xavier was named a temporary co-administrator of the estate alongside his brothers.
Tacoma Simmons, born in 1999, describes himself as a musical composer. He enrolled at Whittier College in 2019.
Sean Simmons was born in 2002 and appears to be the athlete of the family, football, based on his social media.
Praise Mary Ella Simmons, born April 18, 2005, is Tashera’s only daughter and DMX’s youngest child from the marriage.
Tashera has spoken publicly about what it took to stay through DMX’s affairs and addictions. In a 2012 Essence interview, she said, “When you know you’ve given 100 percent, then I would say definitely consider divorce. Marriage wasn’t a joke for me.”
She gave fifteen years, four children, and eventually walked away. DMX was ordered to pay $10,000 a month in child support after the divorce, and in 2015, an arrest warrant was issued after he missed a court hearing on those payments.
How Many Kids Did DMX Have Outside His Marriage?
At least eleven, and that’s where it gets complicated. Several of these children were born while DMX was still married to Tashera, and the paternity of some was established only through court-ordered DNA testing.
- Sasha Simmons, born in 2002 to Patricia Trejo, was DMX’s first known child from outside the marriage. In 2012, Trejo sued him for $1 million in unpaid child support. Sasha was close to her father; she called him her “twin” and delivered a tribute at his homegoing celebration.
- Jada Oden-Simmons is DMX’s daughter with Davita Oden, a former model from Buffalo, New York. Davita filed a paternity petition in 2005. Both Sasha and Jada were among the adult children who petitioned the court to administer his estate.
- DMX fathered a son with Monique Wayne in 2004. Wayne sued him for defamation and child support after a DNA test confirmed paternity. A judge initially ordered DMX to pay $1.5 million, per New York Post reporting, though the judgment was later vacated.
- Sonovah Hillman Jr., born in 2009 to Sonovah Hillman Sr., has inherited her father’s performing instincts. She released a song called “I Hate Zoom” and performed a rendition of DMX’s “Slippin’” at his funeral. She was eight years old.
- DMX’s daughter Aaliyah was born in 2011. He named her after the late R&B singer with whom he had a close bond, including their work together on Romeo Must Die. On an episode of 106 & Park that year, DMX called the singer “an angel” and said naming his daughter after her reflected how much she meant to him.
- With ex-girlfriend Yadira Borrego, whom he dated on and off for nine years, DMX had two children: a son named Emmanuel and a daughter named Z’riyah. Their son was eleven at the time of DMX’s death; Z’riyah’s age has not been made public.
- Exodus Simmons, born August 16, 2016, is DMX’s son with his fiancée Desiree Lindstrom. They got engaged in 2019. After DMX’s death, Lindstrom petitioned the court to be declared his common-law wife, a move that would have given her control over the estate. The judge denied the request. New York hasn’t recognized common-law marriages since 1933.
- DMX’s youngest children are twinsAidyn and K’ydn, born December 5, 2019, to Pebbles Junell. K’ydn was born with Down syndrome, and his mother shares updates on his progress on social media.
- There is also at least one child whose identity has never been made public, the child born to Shikoya Walton (Hartley), sometimes listed among DMX’s children but rarely reported on in detail.
Did DMX Really Have 15 Kids, or More?
The number depends on who’s counting and what you mean by “confirmed.”
Court filings from 2021 listed 14 legally recognized children at the time of his death. Then Raven Barmer-Simmons, a woman from Georgia, came forward in October 2021, claiming to be his daughter and joining the estate battle. The estate attorney said all alleged children would undergo DNA testing to confirm paternity.
And then there’s what DMX said himself. In a 2020 interview, he stated plainly that he had 17 children, not 15. His exact words, referencing holiday shopping for his family: “I have 17 kids, and that’s not my entire family.”
Most outlets report 15 because that’s the number of publicly identified children. But the legal record says 14 at the time of death, a fifteenth claimant appeared after, and DMX’s own count was higher than both.
What Happened to DMX’s Estate After He Died?
DMX died on April 9, 2021, at age 50, from a heart attack following a drug overdose. He left no will.
That alone would have been a problem. Combined with at least 15 potential heirs, significant debts, and no appointed executor, it created a fight that landed in Westchester County Surrogate’s Court almost immediately.
His daughters, Sasha and Jada, filed first, estimating the estate at less than $50,000. His sons Xavier, Tacoma, and Sean filed days later, putting it at less than $1 million. Desiree Lindstrom’s common-law wife bid was rejected. In October 2021, Judge Helen Blackwood appointed Xavier, Tacoma, and Sean as temporary administrators.
The irony is that while DMX’s liquid assets were minimal, Billboard estimated his total royalties, including posthumous releases, master recordings, and licensing, at approximately $17.7 million. The man who filed for bankruptcy in 2013, listing $50,000 in assets, was worth more to the industry after death than his bank account ever reflected.
The Part That Rarely Gets Talked About
Fifteen children, nine mothers, no will, and an estate battle isn’t just a tabloid story. It’s the result of a man who grew up in group homes and storage units in Yonkers, who became one of hip hop’s biggest stars without ever having the infrastructure around him, legal, financial, personal, to manage what that success created. The child support obligations alone were listed as priority claims in his 2013 bankruptcy filing.
DMX loved his kids. His children’s tributes after his death made that clear, Sasha calling him her twin, Sonovah performing his song at the funeral, his sons stepping up to protect the estate. The complication was never about love. It was about a system that let a man earn millions and still end up with nothing to leave behind.
Earl Simmons was born on December 18, 1970, in Mount Vernon, New York. He died fifty years later with more children than he could financially support and a catalog that will earn money long after the courtroom fights are settled. Both things are true. His kids know it better than anyone.
