Deontay Wilder is back in the spotlight as he prepares to face Derek Chisora this Saturday night at the O2 Arena. But in the lead-up to the fight, it isn’t just his boxing that has drawn attention—Wilder’s personal life has also become a major talking point, particularly his large family.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ is a father to eight children through multiple partners. While he may have a clear understanding of his own family, it may not be the same for the rest of the boxing fandom. So, here’s everything you need to know about his children—with special focus on Kerron Swift.
All about Deontay Wilder’s kids
It was for his daughter that Wilder took boxing seriously. Initially, he began boxing just to see a way out of poverty and pay the bills for his daughter’s medical illness. In 2005, Wilder and his ex-wife gave birth to Naieya Wilder. She was born with a spinal disorder, and doctors predicted that she would use a wheelchair for life.
However, Naieya turned out to be absolutely well in the future, and it was a memorable moment in Wilder’s career. Speaking with ESPN, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ revealed his daughter’s current condition.
“My daughter is doing wonderful now,” Wilder said. “You could never tell that she has spina bifida. She still walks with a limp because she had [five] surgeries when she was a baby.
“She still has to be catheterized. But she still manages to maintain her own. She is a very strong young lady. She will be a very strong woman. She has no choice, with who her daddy is.”
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Wilder was engaged to ex-partner Telli Swift, but they separated in 2024 after an ugly separation. The pair shared one biological child, a daughter named Kaorii Lee Wilder. Since their separation, Wilder and Swift have been in a custody dispute over the child. Swift had a son from a previous marriage named Kerron Swift.
Although Wilder embraced Kerron as his own, he is not his biological son, and even their relationship has deteriorated since the separation. Wilder had four children from his previous marriage. His sons are Deontay Wilder Jr, Dereon Wilder, and his daughters, Ava Wilder and Naieya Wilder.
Although Wilder is a treacherous puncher inside the ring, outside of it, he is a family man and a loving father.
Who are the mothers of Deontay Wilder’s children?
Deontay Wilder has eight children with four different women. His eldest daughter, Naieya, was born in 2005 to Helen Duncan and was diagnosed with spina bifida—an event that inspired Wilder to take up boxing.
Wilder later married Jessica Scales, who became Naieya’s stepmother and gave birth to three more children: Ava, Deontay Jr., and Dereon. From 2018 to 2024, Wilder was engaged to ex, Telli Swift, with whom he shares a daughter, Kaorii Lee Wilder.
The mothers of his remaining three children have not been publicly identified, as Wilder tends to keep parts of his family life private.
Do you think Wilder will have more children?
