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Sterling K. Brown had a surprising riposte to Dax Shepard when the Armchair Expert host spoke about his decision to keep his children’s faces off social media.
The 49-year-old actor spoke about protecting his and his wife Ryan Michelle Bathe’s sons, Andrew, 14, and Amaré, 10, during a recent appearance on Shepard’s podcast.
During the conversation, Shepard explained that he and his wife, Kristen Bell, hide their daughters’ — Lincoln, 12, and Delta, 11 — faces on social media, so they can “be anonymous and make mistakes.”
While Brown said he agreed with and understood that perspective, he had a different approach.
“Your children are obviously white. My children are Black. I feel like the more I put them on social, the safer they are,” he explained. “Any proximity that Black boys can have to some sort of celebrity or access or whatnot. I’m trying to make sure they make it home.”
However, the This Is Us alum said that if he’s out in public with his wife and their kids, he has a few rules for his fans and the press.
“We have a policy of no pictures. And the policy is because they deserve to have a regular night out. It's their time,” he added. “Because Ry and I have a certain amount of spotlight or whatnot, doesn't mean that they should receive less of us.”
“So we go to an event, where you specifically know you’re taking pictures, that’s all their thing. But like if I’m at a soccer game or anything, I’ll be like, ‘Right now I’m just a dad, but I appreciate the love.’ And most people are so sweet and so cool.”
Brown’s comments were eye-opening to many, who shared their thoughts on Reddit.
“Damn, this made me realize how ignorant I really am. I regularly silently judge celebrities for putting their children in the public eye, without considering how being white allows me to believe it's a choice for everyone,” one wrote on r/popculturechat.
“It’s sad that he chooses to show his children on social media so that they are protected by his celebrity [status], if they are ever racially profiled and targeted by law enforcement,” another responded.
The Paradise star previously revealed how his children feel about his career. During an interview with E! News last month, Brown said that when his children see his face on a billboard, they’re not fussed. “They’re used to it,” he confessed.
“I’m not used to it, like it’s cool for me,” he added. “They just don't look at the picture. They'll stay on their phones. They'll be like, 'Yeah, Dad, I’ve seen it.’ So, I'm like, ‘OK, thanks buddy,’ as I turtle into my little shell.”
However, he said that his youngest son still thinks he’s “slightly cool,” while joking that his oldest child doesn’t feel the same.
“The 14-year-old, he knows I’m cool,” Brown added. “But will never admit it out loud and will never treat me that way. He kind of understands it like, ‘That is an alright human being.’”