Soul and R&B star D’Angelo died from pancreatic cancer on October 14, 2025. He was 51. He is dearly missed, but fans were touched when all three of his children, Michael Archer Jr., Imani Archer, and Morocco Archer, made a rare onstage appearance at the 2026 BET Awards. The event was held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28.
D’Angelo’s 3 Children Appear Onstage at the BET Awards
The three siblings paid their respects to their late father onstage. A short clip of their speech was shared on the official BET Awards Instagram account. “‘To the world he was D’Angelo, to us he was just dad,'” the caption reads, referencing Imani’s words. “Michael, Imani, and Morocco reminded us tonight that behind the icon was simply — Dad. Rest easy, D’Angelo.”
Imani looked gorgeous in a black dress, the bottom of which was sheer fabric, creating an interesting contrast. She styled her hair into a middle parting and wore it long and loose. Her brother, Morocco opted for a monochromatic outfit. He wore black leather trousers and a crisp white button-down shirt, and white sunglasses sat in his pocket. The event marked an extremely rare public appearance for Morocco, who prefers to live his life away from the public eye. Little is known about him, so to see him onstage in such a public way was an incredible moment.
D’Angelo’s eldest child, Michael Archer Jr., was born on February 28, 1997. He is known professionally as Swayvo Twain, and of D’Angelo’s children, he has the highest profile. He stood alongside his siblings in an all-black outfit, covering his head with a bold red leopard-print scarf.
Swayvo is the son of D’Angelo and late musician Angie Stone. Stone died suddenly in a car accident on March 1, 2025. She was 63.
Fans Praise D’Angelo’s Gorgeous Children
Fans flooded the comment section of the Instagram post with their thoughts. “His youngest son is his twin!!!!,” a fan wrote about Morocco. It is true there is a striking resemblance! “i love youuu mike mike RIP TO MY AUNTIE ANGIEEEEE,” another fan shared.
Other reactions include, “Absolutely beautiful @imaniarcher. I’m so proud of you,” “Omgoodness! His daughter looks EXACTLY like her mom! So beautiful!,” and “This is beautiful but I wish they would have did this while he was alive. My nephew Mike lost my sis, his mother Angie and his father D’Angelo.”
Remembering Beloved Musician D’Angelo
GettySwayvo is a musician with a growing following online. On Instagram, he has 69,000 followers and shares glimpses of his life. He also had a close relationship with his dad.
After D’Angelo’s death, a source told People he had been “in hospice for two weeks but had been in the hospital for months.” They also revealed that Michael had been with his dad. “His son was there with him and had been with him in the hospital,” the source said. “People are really worried about Mike right now; his mom died a day after his birthday, and now six months later he’s burying his dad.”
Imani has pursued a career in the music industry, and in a November 2024 interview with Bold Journey, she spoke about her childhood. “I was born in Los Angeles, but I moved around the East Coast until I was about 13 years old,” she said. “The place I lived in the longest was Kissimmee, Florida! Moving to LA was such a culture shock at that age, but I knew I was in the right place for my music career to blossom.”
She continued, “I really got into making my own music around 16, and it’s been a very long journey since then. From developing my sound, finding my voice, and learning how to write songs, it’s been a learning curve.”
