Boyz II Men lead singer Wanya Morris is under fire as fans compare his strained relationships with his children from his first marriage to the controversies surrounding Brian McKnight disowning his own children.
Wanya, 51, has four sons — 19-year-old “Big Boy” Wanya II, 17-year-old “Chulo” Wanya III, 16-year-old “Tyvas” Wanya IV, and 12-year-old “Rocco” Wanya V — with his ex-wife, Traci Nash. The boys form the singing group WanMor and are signed to Mary J. Blige’s Beautiful Life Productions, have all been estranged from their father.
Nash and Wanya also have two daughters, Anyá Keoni, the eldest and Shayla, his youngest child of this set of children.
Wanya Moore and Traci Nash wed in May 2002 and separated in 2018. Morris married his second wife, Amber Reyes, 42, in September 2019 with a star-studded ceremony in Aruba. Morris and Nash’s divorce finalized that same year.
As Morris continues to build a new life with his current wife and 1-year-old daughter, Anela, whom he frequently posts pictures of on social media, fans are questioning his commitment to his older children, accusing him of neglecting his original family in favor of his new one and only celebrating them now that they are on the move to being stars in their own right.
In 2023, fans first began to take notice that Morris didn’t appear to be present, after realizing that the Boyz II Men frontman, who initially helped launch WanMor, had not appeared in a viral video with the group in several years. Fans scanned the Grammy Award winner’s Instagram page to find it was void of any recent photos of him and his older children. With the exception of a May 2023 post congratulating Wanya II on his high school graduation and daughter Anyá on completing her degree from Adelphi University, the last time the elder children could be found on his page was Christmas 2018.
The “One Sweet Day” singer has since taken to social media to address the situation to his fans, expressing his deep pain over the strained relationships and his desire for reconciliation.
On Amber’s birthday, Morris posted a heartfelt message that read, “Happy Birthday to My Am~bition. This is just the beginning of growing old together. Daddy & Anela Loves You.”
Under that expression of love, fans questioned the singer’s relationship with his kids after marrying the beautiful Latina.
One fan wrote, “You know what will never sit right with me? Wanya morris having 6 kids with that lady, naming them all after him, then he leaving her to marry that white lady. It’s giving Brian McKnight.”
Morris himself has admitted that he “can’t have a relationship with them,” a statement that has only fueled the comparison to the “Back at One” singer/songwriter.
However, to be fair, McKnight disowned his oldest children and said that they were an abomination to him and that they were “products of sin.” Morris has publicly said how much he loves his kids and there’s no indication that his children don’t feel the same way.
In December 2023, Morris reposted a fan’s video of his son’s singing to his Instagram Stories, adding the caption: “I GET ASKED A QUESTION ALL THE TIME! YES. ALL MY KIDS CAN SING! EVEN ANELA ALREADY. @BNAI SHOW EM MY BLESSINGS.”
However, not everyone was impressed. One commenter wrote, “Hmm I’m surprised he’s even acknowledging them after leaving their mother and starting his new family with his Asian wife. He must need some attention. Him and Brian Mcknight are the same to me.”
Another commenter shared, ” I’ve been wondering for a while if Wanya even has a relationship with them because he posts his wife constantly and nothing about the older children.”
Weeks later, on Jan. 8, Morris posted a black-and-white promotional picture of his sons, celebrating their success as the first artists signed to Mary J. Blige’s Beautiful Life Productions/300 Entertainment.
“I am beyond proud of my children and all of their successes. They are destined for great things! I love them ALL. And special thank you queen, @therealmaryjblige for your support & guidance to my offispring!” he wrote in a caption.
Fans quickly noticed that Morris didn’t tag his sons in the post, leading to speculation about their relationship.
When asked why he didn’t tag WanMor, Morris revealed, “Because I can’t. I’m blocked,” he said in April 2024, adding, “I had to post from someone else post…. This is my only way to show how proud I am… Since you have an opinion; Maybe request that their mom unblock me?”
On Aug. 26, 2024, one person commented on another birthday post for his new wife from four years ago, a comment that addressed him being blocked by his first family, “So you left your black family, and kids and did this and wonder why they blocked you wtf is wrong with you old heads and thinking you can leave your blackness behind.”
The exchange, shared by The Neighborhood Talk, stirred up a mixed reaction from fans. Some sympathized with Wanya’s ex-wife, commending her for her strength.
“Listen, his ex-wife has taken a high road after probably going through the biggest heartbreak of her and her kids’ life,” one person wrote. “Let’s just acknowledge that through all the mess, she is doing an amazing job with the Boys!!! Their music is amazing too!”
Others, however, blasted the “4 Seasons of Loneliness” vocalist.
“No prime example of men leaving the home they built and running to a new happy place once they created unhappiness in the one they left. So easy for a man to do this, but what about when the woman is unhappy? I hate this for us women,” one fan lamented.
Despite the criticism, some fans defended Morris, arguing that the comparisons to McKnight are unfair.
“This is a break up not what Brian dusty azz did! People get to break up and move on even if it’s with a lighter skin woman. This a reach,” one commenter insisted.
As the drama continues to unfold, Morris’ relationships with his first family remain strained, with many fans left wondering if reconciliation is possible.
