Bill Bellamy and his wife, Kristen Bellamy, celebrated 24 years of marriage on June 16. However, the couple’s special day had some people more focused on Kristen’s ethnicity.
The Black Love Instagram account uploaded a two-photo collage of Bill and Kristen. The top image appears to be taken at the couple’s wedding in 2001, while the bottom was taken more recently in 2024. Last September, Kristen shared an Instagram post to celebrate becoming “empty nesters” after their two adult children moved out of the family home.
The “Getting Played” star was tagged in the post meant to praise him and his wife’s 24th wedding anniversary on June 16.
“A partnership rooted in grace, laughter, and showing up daily. Let’s send Bill & Kristen some love in the comments!!!” read the caption on Black Love’s Instagram page.
Many social media users enthusiastically wished the Bellamys a happy anniversary and sent their congratulations. One fan wrote, “Bill Bellamy aged well. Happy Anniversary, my dude.”
Some also questioned Kristen’s heritage, especially after Bill publicly embraced a “Black love” message tied to their relationship.
One person wondered, “Is she Black?” while a more friendly responder exclaimed, “She is loved!” Another reply read, “Yes, her daddy is.”
“Is the Black love in the room with us?” someone else mockingly asked. The same person also wrote, “Don’t care what she ‘identifies’ as, she [is] not Black and that’s precisely why he chose her!”
According to several commenters, Kristen is biracial — her father is Black — and she identifies as a Black woman. Despite online claims, her family history has not been made public. Some unsubstantiated sources report that the California native is of European descent.
This was not the first time Bill and Kristen’s romance has faced backlash from critics online. “Bill Bellamy but stop da cap about running from white girls because yo wife is white!!!” wrote one person on X, in response to Bellamy’s take on Shannon Sharpe’s lawsuit from an OnlyFans worker.
Bill Bellamy but stop da cap about running from white girls because yo wife is white!!!
— Goofellaz (@goofellaz) May 1, 2025
The couple previously appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Network show titled “Black Love” in 2020.
“I’m blessed to be a part of it. Me and my wife, we are on there because our thing is about longevity and things that you do to make your relationship last,” Bill said about the “Black Love” series during an interview with Majic ATL that same year.
“I’m pretty private, and when it comes to my kids and my wife, I do certain things, but I’m not like trying to promote and put them on blast. I let my kids live a regular life,” he continued.
Bill and Kristen tied the knot in 2001 at the Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, California. Their daughter, Bailey Ivory-Rose, was born in 2003, followed by a son, Baron, who was born in 2006.
“I never was the kind of girl that [was] like, ‘Oh, I want to grow up and get married and have a million babies.’ But when I met Bill, he had all the qualities of a partner in a man, that I really started thinking, ‘I want to have kids,’” Kristen admitted in a 2020 episode of “Black Love.”
Bill spoke about his private life in a 2020 article published by Essence magazine. Specifically, the “How to Be a Player” actor shared his thoughts on maintaining a happy marriage in Hollywood.
“I think it’s simple. It’s about communication and connection. You kind of have to work on that because the business itself can take you all over the place, and you can get lost. Do things that keep you connected. I have to make time for my family,” Bill stated.
Kristen’s racial makeup remains unclear. But during the promotion of Netflix’s “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker” biopic in 2020, Bill discussed the issue of colorism in a separate Essence article.
“Obviously, you are aware of the color issue, but for me, I never let it bother me. I’m like, ‘I’m representing every Nubian brother known to man.’ I’ve always had that intention to represent that Black men can be fly, can be intelligent, can be able to do anything,” Bill said.
