Sterling K. Brown has offered a powerful reason for sharing his children's faces on social media, contrasting with the approach of many other celebrities. The 49-year-old actor, known for his role in This Is Us, appeared on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, where Shepard discussed his decision to hide his daughters' faces online to allow them anonymity. Brown, however, explained that his perspective is shaped by race.
“Your children are obviously white. My children are Black. I feel like the more I put them on social, the safer they are,” Brown said. “Any proximity that Black boys can have to some sort of celebrity or access or whatnot. I’m trying to make sure they make it home.” Brown and his wife, Ryan Michelle Bathe, have two sons: Andrew, 14, and Amaré, 10.
While Brown is open about his children online, he enforces strict boundaries in public. “We have a policy of no pictures. And the policy is because they deserve to have a regular night out,” he explained. “Because Ry and I have a certain amount of spotlight or whatnot, doesn't mean that they should receive less of us.” He noted that at events where photos are expected, it is different, but at a soccer game, he asks to be treated simply as a dad.
Brown's comments resonated widely, sparking discussion on Reddit. One user wrote, “Damn, this made me realize how ignorant I really am. I regularly silently judge celebrities for putting their children in the public eye, without considering how being white allows me to believe it's a choice for everyone.” Another added, “It’s sad that he chooses to show his children on social media so that they are protected by his celebrity status, if they are ever racially profiled and targeted by law enforcement.”
In a separate interview with E! News, Brown revealed that his sons are unfazed by his fame. “They’re used to it,” he said, noting that they ignore billboards featuring his face. However, his youngest still thinks he is “slightly cool,” while his teenage son “knows I’m cool but will never admit it out loud.”
