Kimberly Woodruff: Ice Cube’s Wife of More Than 33 Years, Four Children, Private Family Life, and Where She Is in 2026

kimberly woodruff

Kimberly Woodruff is best known as the longtime wife of rapper, actor, producer, and BIG3 founder Ice Cube, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson Sr. The couple began dating in 1989, married in 1992, raised four children, became grandparents, and built one of hip-hop’s longest-lasting marriages. Kimberly Woodruff profile Unlike her famous husband, Kimberly has spent most of her adult life away from interviews, reality television, and constant celebrity attention.

That privacy is a big part of what makes people curious about her.

Who is Kimberly away from Ice Cube?

How did they meet?

Why did she reject him the first time?

And after more than three decades together, what has helped their marriage survive fame, touring, movies, business, and raising a family?

Kimberly Woodruff Quick Bio

Detail Information
Full Name Kimberly Woodruff
Also Known As Kimberly Jackson
Nationality American
Age in 2026 Around mid-50s
Exact Birthday Not firmly verified by major sources
Known For Wife of Ice Cube
Husband O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson Sr.
Began Dating 1989
Married 1992
Marriage Length in Sept. 2026 More than 33 years
Children Four
Children’s Names O’Shea Jr., Darrell, Kareema and Shareef
Grandmother Yes
Public Career Kept largely private
Public Profile Very private
2025 Appearance Ice Cube’s TCL Chinese Theatre ceremony
Current Status Still married to Ice Cube in 2026

Current biographical records continue to list Kimberly and Ice Cube as married, with four children.

Who Is Kimberly Woodruff?

Kimberly Woodruff is the woman who has shared most of Ice Cube’s adult life.

She knew him before many of the biggest things happened.

Before the full movie-star career.

Before Friday.

Before Barbershop.

Before Are We There Yet?

Before Cube Vision became a major production business.

And before Ice Cube became one of the most recognizable names to move successfully from rap into Hollywood.

Kimberly was there while that life was still being built.

How Did Ice Cube Meet Kimberly Woodruff?

Ice Cube has said he first met Kimberly around 1989.

PEOPLE reports that they met at a mall.

But there was one small problem.

Kimberly was already involved with somebody else.

So when Cube showed interest, she turned him down.

Imagine telling a future rap legend:

“No, thank you.”

Cube clearly did not forget her.

Kimberly Initially Rejected Ice Cube

Ice Cube has openly laughed about the fact that Kimberly did not want him the first time they met.

According to later interviews, they crossed paths again roughly six months later.

This time Kimberly was single.

And the reaction was very different.

They began dating in 1989.

That second meeting changed both of their lives.

The relationship eventually lasted through N.W.A fame, solo albums, Hollywood, children, grandchildren, and decades of public attention.

Ice Cube Says It Was Love at First Sight

Kimberly may not have immediately responded to him, but Cube has described his own reaction very differently.

He has said he was strongly attracted to her from the beginning.

The timing simply was not right the first time.

Once they reconnected, the relationship became serious.

Within a few years, they were building a family together.

Their First Son Arrived Before the Wedding

Their eldest child, O’Shea Jackson Jr., was born in 1991.

He would eventually become the most publicly recognizable of Kimberly and Ice Cube’s children.

A year later, Kimberly and Cube married.

That means their family story had already started before the wedding ceremony.

Ice Cube’s Unusual Marriage Proposal

Cube’s proposal sounds like something from a movie.

PEOPLE reports that he bought Kimberly a BMW.

But the car was not the only surprise.

An engagement ring was waiting inside.

That was Cube’s way of asking Kimberly to marry him.

She said yes.

And in 1992, they became husband and wife.

When Did Kimberly Woodruff Marry Ice Cube?

Kimberly and Ice Cube married in 1992.

IMDb currently lists the date as November 28, 1992.

As of September 2026, they have therefore been married for more than 33 years.

They are approaching their 34th wedding anniversary in November.

That makes their marriage unusually long not only for celebrity couples, but especially for a relationship that survived decades inside music and Hollywood.

Are Kimberly Woodruff and Ice Cube Still Married in 2026?

Yes.

Current records still list Kimberly as Ice Cube’s wife.

There is no credible current report of divorce or separation.

Their recent public appearances also continue to show them together.

In April 2025, Kimberly joined Cube at his hand-and-footprint ceremony at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre, where he was honored for his long career.

After more than three decades, she was still beside him for another major milestone.

Ice Cube Proposed to Kimberly Again

Here is another sweet detail.

After around 20 years of marriage, Cube proposed to Kimberly again.

He has spoken about wanting to recreate the excitement and romance of the first proposal.

PEOPLE notes the second proposal as one of the couple’s memorable relationship moments.

They were already married.

He simply wanted to ask again.

That tells you a lot about how Ice Cube talks about Kimberly.

Ice Cube Still Says He Gets Butterflies

Cube has repeatedly spoken publicly about being attracted to his wife decades after they met.

Essence quoted him describing the marriage as a true partnership built on mutual respect and saying he still gets butterflies when he sees Kimberly.

That is especially notable because the couple is not constantly trying to sell their marriage as a brand.

Kimberly rarely gives interviews.

There is no long-running reality program about them.

Most of what the public knows comes from Cube speaking about her with affection.

What Is Their Secret to a Long Marriage?

Ice Cube’s answer is surprisingly simple.

You have to genuinely want the relationship.

During a conversation with Cam Newton, he explained that a long marriage cannot be perfect every day.

Sometimes people get annoyed.

Sometimes life is difficult.

Sometimes the romance is not magical.

The important question, according to Cube, is whether two people are committed to being a family and willing to keep giving time, effort, and love.

That sounds simple.

Living it for more than 30 years is harder.

Communication Matters Too

Cube has also described a more practical routine behind the marriage.

Years ago, he told Essence that he and Kimberly would have morning coffee and talk about different areas of their lives.

He also said they tried to keep outsiders from controlling their relationship.

In his view, communication and respect were essential.

That approach makes sense when one person is internationally famous.

The more people know your name, the more outside opinions can enter your relationship.

Cube and Kimberly largely kept theirs inside the family.

Kimberly Avoided Becoming a Hollywood Celebrity

Kimberly could easily have built her own celebrity career.

She had access to premieres.

Famous musicians.

Actors.

Television executives.

Major red carpets.

Yet she never seemed interested in making herself the star.

Essence has long described her as a private family matriarch who helped keep the household close while Cube’s career expanded.

That privacy makes some parts of her biography difficult to verify.

But it also appears to have been intentional.

What Does Kimberly Woodruff Do for a Living?

There is no strong current mainstream source documenting a specific public occupation for Kimberly.

Some biography websites describe various careers.

Those claims are often repeated without clear evidence.

What is firmly documented is her long role within the Jackson family and her low-key public presence beside Cube.

It is better not to invent a professional title simply because celebrity sites want every person to have one.

Kimberly’s life has largely remained private.

How Old Is Kimberly Woodruff?

Kimberly’s exact birthday is not firmly documented by the strongest public sources.

A 2025 South China Morning Post profile described her as 54 at the time.

That would place her in her mid-50s in 2026.

Many secondary websites publish a specific 1970 birth date, but those details are not consistently confirmed by major sources.

So “around 55” is safer than pretending the exact birthday is certain.

How Many Children Do Kimberly and Ice Cube Have?

They have four children.

Their names are:

O’Shea Jackson Jr.,

Darrell Jackson,

Kareema Jackson,

and Shareef Jackson.

You may sometimes find websites claiming five children or adding a daughter named Deja.

However, PEOPLE, IMDb, and multiple established profiles consistently identify four children.

That is the best-supported number.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. Became an Actor

The eldest child, O’Shea Jackson Jr., was born in 1991.

He followed his father into entertainment.

His biggest early role could hardly have been more personal.

He played Ice Cube himself in the 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton.

The resemblance helped.

But O’Shea Jr. built a larger acting career afterward, appearing in projects such as Ingrid Goes West, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Swagger, and Cocaine Bear.

Kimberly therefore became the mother of two generations of entertainers.

Darrell Jackson Also Entered Entertainment

Their son Darrell Jackson also followed parts of the family business.

PEOPLE reports that Darrell performs under the name Doughboy, taken from Ice Cube’s character in Boyz n the Hood.

He has worked around his father’s Lench Mob Records, Cube Vision, and BIG3 basketball organization.

Darrell married his wife Janet in 2022.

So while O’Shea Jr. became the more visible actor, Darrell also remained closely connected with entertainment and family businesses.

Kareema Jackson Keeps a Lower Profile

Kimberly and Cube’s daughter Kareema Jackson is much more private.

PEOPLE notes that she has occasionally appeared at important family events but generally stays outside entertainment publicity.

That privacy feels very similar to Kimberly herself.

Not every person born into a famous family wants a career in front of cameras.

Kareema appears to have taken the quieter route.

Shareef Jackson Is Also Private

Their youngest child is Shareef Jackson.

Like Kareema, he has largely remained outside mainstream celebrity culture.

PEOPLE says he occasionally appears with his father at public and sporting events but otherwise keeps a low profile.

Sources disagree on his exact birth year, so it is better not to turn that disputed detail into a fact.

What is clear is that Shareef is the youngest of Kimberly and Cube’s four children.

Kimberly Woodruff Is a Grandmother

Kimberly and Ice Cube are now grandparents.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. has a daughter named Jordan Reign Jackson, born in 2017.

Essence also describes Cube and Kimberly as grandparents in its coverage of their long marriage.

That means their relationship has now moved through several stages.

Young couple.

Parents.

Parents of adults.

And grandparents.

That is a lot of family history since 1989.

Kimberly Supported Ice Cube During Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton was a particularly personal project for the Jackson family.

The film told the story of N.W.A. and Cube’s early career.

O’Shea Jr. played his father.

And Kimberly attended the movie’s Los Angeles premiere with Ice Cube.

For her, the film must have felt different from a normal Hollywood premiere.

It was partly the story of the world her husband came from.

And their son was recreating that story on screen.

She Was There for Ice Cube’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

In 2017, Ice Cube received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Kimberly and their children attended the ceremony.

That was another major milestone.

By then, Cube had gone from N.W.A. rapper to solo artist, actor, writer, producer, entrepreneur, and one of Hollywood’s most successful hip-hop crossovers.

Kimberly had watched that entire transformation from close range.

The Couple Still Appears Together at Public Events

Kimberly is private, but she does not completely avoid public life.

Over the decades, she has accompanied Cube to:

movie premieres,

awards ceremonies,

BIG3 games,

charity events,

Hollywood honors,

and family celebrations.

Essence’s photo history of the couple shows them together at events stretching from the 1990s through recent years.

That is why her privacy is better described as selective.

She supports Cube publicly.

She simply does not make fame her own full-time job.

Their 2025 TCL Chinese Theatre Appearance

One of Kimberly’s most recent high-profile appearances came on April 15, 2025.

Ice Cube was honored with a hand-and-footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Kimberly attended wearing black, matching Cube’s dark outfit.

The ceremony celebrated more than four decades of his career.

For longtime fans, seeing Kimberly beside him felt appropriate.

She has been present through most of that journey.

What Is Kimberly Woodruff Doing in 2026?

As of 2026, Kimberly continues to maintain the same pattern that has defined her public life for years.

She remains married to Ice Cube.

She spends most of her life outside daily entertainment headlines.

And she occasionally appears beside her husband and family at important events.

No major 2026 announcement shows her launching a reality show, acting career, music project, or public business.

That does not mean she is doing nothing.

It means her private life remains private.

Is Kimberly Woodruff on Instagram?

Kimberly does not maintain the kind of heavily promoted public social-media brand seen with many celebrity spouses.

You may find accounts using her name, fan pages, or reposted family photos.

But she is not known for building her identity around social-media influencing.

Cube is far more publicly active online.

That difference has helped Kimberly keep a surprising amount of privacy despite being married to a globally famous entertainer.

Kimberly Woodruff’s Net Worth

There is no reliable independently verified figure for Kimberly’s personal net worth.

Many celebrity websites publish numbers.

Those estimates often confuse:

Ice Cube’s money,

shared household wealth,

property,

business interests,

and Kimberly’s individual finances.

Those things are not automatically the same.

Cube has earned major money through music, movies, Cube Vision, and other businesses.

But without access to Kimberly’s own financial records, an exact personal net-worth figure would be speculation.

So the responsible answer is:

Kimberly Woodruff’s individual net worth is not publicly verified.

Why Kimberly and Ice Cube’s Marriage Stands Out

Their marriage began before social media.

Before smartphones.

Before people turned every relationship argument into content.

Cube became increasingly famous.

Kimberly increasingly stayed private.

That combination may have helped.

He has repeatedly said they communicate.

He says they respect each other.

And most importantly, he says both people have to actually want the relationship to continue.

Their marriage is not remarkable because they claim every day is perfect.

Cube specifically says it is not.

It is remarkable because they kept choosing the same family for more than three decades.

Final Thoughts

Kimberly Woodruff has spent much of her life beside one of hip-hop’s most recognizable figures without trying to compete with his fame.

She first met Ice Cube in 1989.

She rejected him.

They met again.

This time the timing worked.

They fell in love and built a family.

O’Shea Jr. arrived in 1991.

Kimberly and Cube married in 1992.

Then came Darrell, Kareema and Shareef.

As Cube’s fame grew, Kimberly remained the quieter person in the partnership.

N.W.A became history.

His solo career exploded.

Boyz n the Hood opened Hollywood’s door.

Friday became a classic.

Cube Vision grew.

The BIG3 arrived.

Their son played Cube in Straight Outta Compton.

And Kimberly remained there through all of it.

Cube has called their marriage a partnership and says respect and communication helped protect it.

He even proposed again after two decades.

Now they are grandparents.

As of September 2026, they have been married for more than 33 years and are approaching their 34th wedding anniversary.

Kimberly’s life still is not heavily documented online.

There is no giant personal brand.

No constant interviews.

No reality show explaining every family argument.

Perhaps that is part of the story.

Ice Cube became famous by making sure people heard him.

Kimberly Woodruff built her life by knowing when the world did not need to hear everything.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kimberly Woodruff

Who is Kimberly Woodruff?

Kimberly Woodruff is the longtime wife of rapper, actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur Ice Cube. They have been married since 1992.

Is Kimberly Woodruff also called Kimberly Jackson?

Yes. Because Ice Cube’s legal family name is Jackson, Kimberly is also sometimes publicly referred to as Kimberly Jackson.

How did Kimberly Woodruff meet Ice Cube?

They first met around 1989. Kimberly initially turned Cube down because she was involved with someone else, but they reconnected months later and began dating.

When did Kimberly Woodruff marry Ice Cube?

They married in 1992. IMDb currently lists November 28, 1992 as their wedding date.

Are Kimberly Woodruff and Ice Cube still married in 2026?

Yes. Current records continue to list them as married, with no credible report of a separation or divorce.

How long have Kimberly and Ice Cube been married?

As of September 2026, they have been married for more than 33 years and are approaching their 34th anniversary.

How many children do Kimberly and Ice Cube have?

They have four children: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Darrell Jackson, Kareema Jackson and Shareef Jackson.

Is O’Shea Jackson Jr. Kimberly Woodruff’s son?

Yes. O’Shea Jr. is Kimberly and Ice Cube’s eldest child.

Who played Ice Cube in Straight Outta Compton?

His son O’Shea Jackson Jr. played him in the 2015 film.

Is Darrell Jackson also in entertainment?

Yes. Darrell has performed as Doughboy and has worked around Lench Mob Records, Cube Vision, and the BIG3.

Who is Ice Cube’s daughter?

Kimberly and Cube’s daughter is Kareema Jackson, who maintains a relatively private life.

Who is their youngest son?

Their youngest child is Shareef Jackson, who also generally stays outside the celebrity spotlight.

Does Kimberly Woodruff have five children?

Strong sources including PEOPLE and IMDb identify four children. Some online pages list a fifth child, but that claim is not consistently supported.

Is Kimberly Woodruff a grandmother?

Yes. O’Shea Jackson Jr. has a daughter named Jordan Reign Jackson, making Kimberly and Ice Cube grandparents.

What did Ice Cube give Kimberly when he proposed?

PEOPLE reports that he proposed using a BMW with the engagement ring waiting inside the car.

Did Ice Cube propose to Kimberly twice?

Yes. He later proposed again after roughly 20 years of marriage.

What does Kimberly Woodruff do for a living?

Her current professional life is not clearly documented by reliable mainstream sources. She has deliberately maintained a private profile.

How old is Kimberly Woodruff in 2026?

She is around her mid-50s. A 2025 profile described her as 54, but her exact date of birth is not firmly established by major sources.

What is the secret to Kimberly and Ice Cube’s marriage?

Cube credits commitment, communication, respect and genuinely wanting to remain a family.

What is Kimberly Woodruff’s net worth?

Her individual net worth has not been independently verified, so exact figures on celebrity-finance websites should be treated cautiously.

What is Kimberly Woodruff doing now in 2026?

Kimberly continues to maintain a private family life and remains married to Ice Cube. Her recent public appearances have included supporting him at major career celebrations, such as his 2025 TCL Chinese Theatre hand-and-footprint ceremony.

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