All About Chris Brown's Parents, Clinton Brown and Joyce Hawkins
Chris Brown’s parents divorced when he was 7
Chris Brown’s parents, Joyce Hawkins and Clinton Brown, have been by his side through his ups and downs over the years.
After being discovered at the age of 13 and releasing his debut self-titled album in 2005 at 16, Chris experienced a meteoric rise in the world of R&B. Since then, he’s released 10 more albums including 2011’s Grammy Award-winning F.A.M.E
“As a father, I couldn’t be more proud,” Clinton told PEOPLE in 2009 of his only son. “He’s the light of my life.”
But for all of Chris’ successes in the music industry, he’s also experienced his fair share of legal troubles. His problems with the law began back in 2009 when he physically assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna.
Chris was arrested and pled guilty to felony assault — and since then, he’s faced several other legal problems including being banned from performing in certain countries, being arrested multiple times, being sued for sexual assault (Brown's lawyer denied the allegations to TMZ and the case was settled out of court in 2020) and allegedly beating up a man in a London nightclub (his rep and lawyer did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment). However, both Clinton and Joyce have defended Chris in the wake of his various controversies.
And while Chris has faced his fair share of public backlash for his legal issues, the R&B star said he is most concerned with how his actions affect his parents. It was particularly difficult for Chris to face his mother Joyce, who was a victim of domestic violence herself, after his 2009 arrest, he revealed in the 2017 documentary Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life. But the person he was most worried about disappointing was his father, Clinton — who he called “a great man.”
“The hardest person to ... talk about it to would be, I would say probably my father. My real father,” Chris said about his arrest following his assault on Rihanna. “I don’t want to disappoint my father because he actually was there for me.”
From how they helped launch his career to their influence on his music, here’s everything to know about Chris Brown’s parents, Clinton Brown and Joyce Hawkins.
Clinton worked as a correctional officer and at a gas station
Clinton worked as a correctional officer in a local prison near where Chris and his family lived in Tappahannock, Va., according to The Guardian. In addition, Clinton also had another job — and this role is what eventually led to Chris being discovered.
“His father worked at the gas station,” Joyce recalled in Welcome to My Life. “There was a guy that came by and said he was looking for some talent, and his father said, ‘Well, my son sings.’ ”
Related: Chris Brown's 3 Kids: All About Royalty, Aeko and Lovely
Joyce ran a childcare facility for 25 years
Joyce served as the director of a daycare facility in Tappahannock and Chris often spent time with her there.
“He started out in childcare, because I ran a childcare center,” the mom-of-two recalled in Welcome To My Life. “He was probably one of the most active child in the facility itself.”
Chris also has memories of his time spent at his mother’s job. In a 2013 profile in The Guardian, he opened up about his childhood.
“When I was 3, I remember being at a daycare center and having to stay in a room with a bunch of little kids my age,” Chris recalled. “But I just felt like, 'OK, I know what I’m doing, I know how to unlock the gate, I know how to get out.' ”
He added, “My mom told me as a youngster I was always intellectual.”
For Joyce, working in childcare helped prepare her for raising her own children. She opened up on The Pascal Show in 2020 about her career and how it impacted Chris’ upbringing.
“It was, like, ordinary,” she said. “There was nothing different about raising my son because I ran a childcare facility for 25 years.”
They have two children together
Clinton and Joyce had two children together during their marriage. First, they welcomed a daughter named Lytrell Bundy, and Chris later joined the family on May 5, 1989.
Chris’ older sister is affectionately called “Tootie” by her family. “Happy Birthday Tootie!!” Joyce wrote on Instagram to her elder child in November 2023. “Sending love and peace your way!!"
Clinton and Joyce divorced when Chris was young
When Chris was 7 years old, Clinton and Joyce divorced.
“His mom and dad, you know, they had a great relationship,” Chris’ aunt Christine said in Welcome to My Life. “One day, they were all together and then it, you know, all fell apart.”
Despite their breakup, Clinton and Joyce co-parented their two children, with Chris splitting time between his mother and father. Though Clinton was still present in his son’s life, the divorce had a lasting impact on Chris and his childhood, Joyce revealed.
“Chris not having a father in the house made him grow up faster than what he actually had to,” she shared in the Netflix documentary. “It was a lot. It was more than I knew that he could handle.”
Joyce added, “He felt like he had to take care of me. ‘I gotta take care of my mom because my dad is not there. I’m the dad of the house’ ... that’s how he thought and that’s actually what he said.”
Chris, though, has fond memories of his childhood with his mother and father, as he revealed on Larry King Live in 2009.
“For the most part, like, my mom and — and my dad, like, my actual biological father, we — they took care of me good,” Chris said about Joyce and Clinton.
Joyce was allegedly in an abusive relationship after their divorce
After Joyce and Clinton divorced, Chris and his sister Lytrell moved with their mother and her new husband into a nearby trailer park. Chris has said his stepfather was abusive and that he witnessed his mother being physically assaulted by her new husband for years.
“He used to hit my mom,” Chris said in a 2007 interview with Giant magazine, per Today. “He made me terrified all the time ... I was crying and thinking, ‘I’m just gonna go crazy on him one day,’ I hate him to this day.”
Chris elaborated on the alleged abuse in his 2017 documentary Welcome to My Life. “He takes it out on his girl and his girl happens to be my mom,” the Grammy winner recalled. “This is what I had to deal with. I had to hear my mom get beat up every night.”
The performer added, “He was a monster. Animal. Pure hatred. Evil."
Joyce and Clinton supported Chris after his 2009 arrest
Joyce and Clinton stood by Chris’ side following his February 2009 arrest for physically assaulting and threatening his then-girlfriend Rihanna. (He pleaded guilty in June and accepted a plea deal of community labor, five years' probation and domestic violence counseling.)
After Chris’ arrest, Clinton revealed to PEOPLE that Chris was “very remorseful” for his actions and “very concerned” for Rihanna. He also spoke about how his son was a “loveable young man” that was well-liked growing up.
“Hopefully, he will get past it. We all have our shortcomings. We all trip,” Clinton said about Chris, adding, “I think he’s [going to] grow as an individual. He’s going to take from this situation and learn from it.”
Joyce was equally supportive of her son, despite being a victim of domestic violence herself. Describing the night she learned of Chris' assault as “the most painful moment” in her life, Joyce condemned Chris’ actions — but also defended her son and said he had no past history of violence.
“I explained to him that in no way [was] what he did right or acceptable. And I just explained to him that if something of this magnitude ever happened again ... walk away,“ she told PEOPLE at the time. "I’ve never seen any violence in Chris, ever. There was never a history of violence. He’s always been my little angel.”
Chris credits his family for his success
Joyce and Clinton have fostered Chris’ passion for performing since he was a toddler. Joyce showed her son Michael Jackson videos as a 2-year-old, which led to Chris attempting to mimic the icon’s dance moves, she shared in Welcome to My Life.
“Chris’ mom, she was very supportive of his career from the beginning,” Chris’ aunt Christine shared in the documentary. “She always believed in him. She was actually the one who said, ‘You can sing.’ ”
Clinton also played a role in Chris’ love — and talent — for dance. “My dad ... He actually first taught me how to moonwalk,” Chris recalled in the documentary. “He used to just do it on gravel. One day, I was like, ‘wow how did he do that.’ ”
Chris described both of his parents as being “supportive from day one” when it came to his music.
“My success, I would have to give it all to my family,” he said in Welcome to My Life. “Our values as family members, whether it be your mom, your dad ... I think everybody had a real warm and humble approach at life.”
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