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Alicia Keys and Nicole Dean© Eric Charbonneau

Meet Nicole Dean, Alicia Keys' stepdaughter

Dean is the daughter of Swizz Beatz, Keys' longtime husband. 


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
AUGUST 20, 2024 4:01 PM EDT

Alicia Keys' family is growing up. Nicole Dean, her stepdaughter, and the daughter of Swizz Beatz and Jahna Sebastian, recently celebrated her 16th birthday. While rarely seen in the spotlight, she attended the premiere of Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut, attending the screening with Keys and taking some photos with Kravitz.

Here's what we know about her: 

She was born in 2008

Alicia Keys and Nicole Dean at the premiere of 'Blink Twice'© CHRIS DELMAS
Alicia Keys and Nicole Dean at the premiere of 'Blink Twice'

Dean was born on May 22nd, 2008. She's the daughter of Sebastian and Beatz, who was born Kasseem Dean. According to various news sources, Dean learned of his daughter's birth a year after her birth. The following year, Beatz began dating Keys, with the singer being involved in most of Dean's life. 

Beatz also has two sons from previous relationships, named Prince Nasir Dior and Kasseem Dean Jr. He shares two kids with Keys, Egypt and Genesis. 

Keys prefers a different word over 'stepmom'

In her memoir, "More Myself: A Journey," Keys explored a variety of topics in her life, including her relationship with Beatz and her dynamic with her stepchildren. She revealed that she has a great relationship and friendship with the kids and that she prefers the nickname "Umi" over "stepmom." 

“When KJ was little he started referring to me as his stepmom, which didn’t feel like the right vibe to me, especially when Egypt began mimicking KJ and also calling me stepmom,” wrote Keys in her memoir. “So Swizz and I came up with an alternative: KJ would call me Umi (pronounced OOH-me), a beautiful word that means mother in Arabic. Egypt and Genesis now also call me Umi, in addition to Mommy.”

She often vacations with her parents

Swizz Beatz and his eldest son Prince Nasir© Soul Brother
Swizz Beatz and his eldest son Prince Nasir

Dean's social media feed provides her followers with updates on her life, including her graduation, prom outfits, and some of the time she's spent alongside her best friends. Dean also documents her plentiful trips. Over the past year, she's shared photos of trips to Spain, a stop in Paris for Fashion Week, and vacations alongside her siblings and parents.