Before Queen Latifah took the stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to host the 2026 American Music Awards, she held hands with her darling six-year-old son, Rebel, during his red carpet debut on May 25.
The rapper, actress, and newly announced coach on “The Voice” also posed with her longtime partner, Eboni Nichols, with whom she’s been raising Rebel out of the spotlight. Rebel beamed for photographers wearing his little black suit while holding his moms’ hands. It marks one of only a handful of public appearances for Rebel since Latifah first revealed she had a son while accepting the BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021, per People.
Queen Latifah’s Son Was All Smiles on the Red Carpet
GettyHolding onto his superstar mom, Rebel looked adorable in a black suitcoat, white dress shirt, and black tie paired with black shorts, knee-high socks, and dress shoes. His hair was slicked back into a long braid, and he was all smiles on the red carpet before his mom’s big gig.
Latifah, 56, and Nichols, 48, have been together for over a decade, but Latifah rarely talks about their relationship. They posed together with their son at the AMAs, and were joined by a little girl wearing a coordinating black-and-white outfit; it’s not clear what her relation to the family is.
According to Swooon, Nichols is a choreographer who’s worked on movies including “Freakier Friday,” “Girls Trip,” and “Jack & Jill.” She’s also choreographed music videos for Adele, Demi Lovato, and Snoop Dogg. Latifah also gave her a shout-out on social media in February for being a producer on the Grammy Awards.
Queen Latifah Admits Parenting Has Caused Her to Rethink Her Priorities
Latifah rarely discusses her family, but talked to Entertainment Tonight ahead of the AMAs about how motherhood has changed her, explaining that it “makes you put one foot in front of the other no matter what. I’m going to leave it at that. You got to put one foot in front of the other. There’s no quitting.”
“It’s a challenge,” she said, getting honest about what it takes to be a present parent. “Everything gets real. Priorities change, too. You know, you realize what’s really important and who’s really important. And it’s tougher on other people, because when you get an actual baby, the grown people you treat like babies have to grow up, cause sorry, you can’t get that.”
Latifah noted that she and Nichols rely on loved ones to be there for Rebel, too, telling ET, “But I thank God for the tribe, for the village. It takes a village and I really am thankful for mine.”
Latifah last hosted the AMAs over 30 years ago, in 1995, alongside Tom Jones and Lorie Morgan, per People. In 2026, she’s becoming the first person to host the awards ceremony solo.
In 2027, she’ll return as the voice of Ellie in a new “Ice Age” movie, which she’s excited for because she knows Rebel will love it.
“He started watching ‘Ice Age’ and he enjoyed the movies,” she told ET. “So the fact that he’s gonna have one to be able to watch, a new one, is very exciting to me.”
