Marcell Johnson is the son of actor Taraji P. Henson. Henson became a mother while studying theater at Howard University, then moved with her son to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She has also spoken publicly about the death of Marcell’s father and how she eventually explained it to him. Some coverage spells his name “Marcel”; Marcell is the spelling used here.
How Henson became a mother while studying at Howard
Henson became pregnant during her junior year at Howard University and gave birth to Marcell before completing her degree. In a profile drawing on her public accounts, Biography.com says she graduated in 1995 with a theater degree. TIME’s 2016 report likewise describes her finishing school after giving birth.
Henson later moved to Los Angeles with Marcell as she pursued an acting career. TIME described her as raising him as a single parent and quoted her reflecting on the difficulty: “I think we try to do our best. And yes, we can do it all, but I wouldn’t wish being a single parent on my worst enemy. It is not easy.” The quotation appeared in TIME’s 2016 report of an interview Henson gave to Redbook.
Who was Marcell’s father?
Marcell’s father was William LaMarr Johnson, Henson’s former high-school sweetheart. The Guardian’s 2017 profile says Henson referred to him as Mark in her memoir, Around the Way Girl. Johnson died in 2003, when Marcell was nine. The Guardian and ABC News report that he was murdered; ABC says Henson described him as having been stabbed to death.
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The Guardian’s account also recounts Henson’s reflections on raising a Black son and the challenges Marcell faced as a teenager. Those are Henson’s observations, not an independent assessment of Marcell’s mental health or circumstances.
What Henson has said about telling Marcell the truth
Henson discussed the conversation on Peace of Mind with Taraji, as reported by ABC News on January 6, 2021. She said she initially told her nine-year-old son that his father had died in an accident, then later told him the truth: that his father had been murdered. “I just didn’t have the words. I didn’t know how to tell a 9-year-old,” she said. ABC reported that Henson described seeking therapy after Marcell learned what had happened.
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Henson has also spoken about wanting to prepare children for an unfair world. In the 2016 interview excerpt published by TIME, she said: “These days we’re so busy protecting our kids, when we really should be pulling back the blinds and showing them that we live in a world that’s not always fair and moral.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about Marcell today?
Reputable public accounts cited here focus on Henson’s experience as a mother and on the family’s history. They do not establish Marcell’s current occupation, education, relationships, or location, so those details should not be presented as fact. Ages in older coverage are dated snapshots: TIME reported Marcell was 22 in 2016, The Guardian described him as 22 in 2017, and ABC News called him 26 in 2021. None should be read as a current age.
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Sources and spelling
- TIME, September 8, 2016: Henson’s motherhood, Howard education, move to Los Angeles, and comments on single parenting.
- The Guardian, February 4, 2017: profile of Henson, Marcell’s father, and Henson’s public reflections on parenting.
- ABC News, January 6, 2021: Henson’s account of explaining his father’s death and seeking therapy. ABC spells the name “Marcel” and reported his age at that time.
- Biography.com: secondary biographical account of Henson’s Howard years and graduation.
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