Haywood Nelson is a famous American actor who starred in the popular sitcom “What’s Happening!!” as Dwayne Nelson. He is also the half-brother of the late music legend Prince. But how did this rumor start and is there any truth to it? Here are some facts you need to know about Haywood Nelson and his relationship with Prince.
Contents
According to Haywood Nelson’s website, he was born on March 25, 1960 in New York City to John L. Nelson and Edith Lewis. John L. Nelson was also the father of Prince, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson. Prince was born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to John L. Nelson and Mattie Shaw. This means that Haywood Nelson and Prince are half-brothers, sharing the same father but having different mothers.
Haywood Nelson and Prince Never Met
Despite being half-brothers, Haywood Nelson and Prince never met in person. Haywood Nelson grew up in New York City, while Prince lived in Minneapolis. Haywood Nelson said in an interview with Jet magazine in 1986 that he had tried to contact Prince several times, but never got a response. He said he respected Prince’s privacy and did not want to intrude on his life. He also said he admired Prince’s music and talent.
Haywood Nelson is Not Dwayne Nelson
One of the reasons why some people may think that Haywood Nelson and Prince are related is because of a confusion between Haywood Nelson and his character Dwayne Nelson on “What’s Happening!!”. Dwayne Nelson was a fictional character played by Haywood Nelson on the sitcom, which ran from 1976 to 1979. Dwayne Nelson was not related to Prince in any way.
Haywood Nelson is Still Alive and Working
Haywood Nelson is still alive and working in the entertainment industry. He has appeared in several TV shows and movies since “What’s Happening!!”, such as “The Parkers”, “The Steve Harvey Show”, and “The Jamie Foxx Show”. He is also a digital media executive at IEG Holding, a company that provides online consumer loans. He has written a memoir titled “My Life After What’s Happening!!”, which was published in 2017.
Haywood Nelson is Not the Only Half-Brother of Prince
Prince had eight siblings in total, including one full sister and seven half-siblings. His full sister is Tyka Nelson, who was born to John L. Nelson and Mattie Shaw in 1960. His half-siblings from his father’s side are Lorna Nelson, Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson, Duane Nelson, and John R. Nelson. His half-siblings from his mother’s side are Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson.
Conclusion
Haywood Nelson is indeed related to Prince as his half-brother, but they never met or had any contact with each other. Haywood Nelson is best known for his role as Dwayne Nelson on “What’s Happening!!”, but he is not the same person as his character. He is still alive and working in the entertainment industry, while Prince passed away in 2016. Haywood Nelson is one of the eight siblings of Prince, who had a large and complex family tree.
