If you’ve spent any time following New York City politics, you know the man at the top is everywhere. He's at the club. He's at the gala. He's on the subway at 3 a.m. But when it comes to the people closest to him, things get a little... quiet. Honestly, finding the facts on eric adams wife and family feels like trying to track a ghost in City Hall.
The biggest thing to get straight? He doesn't actually have a wife.
He's never been married. Not once. While people constantly search for "Eric Adams wife," they’re usually looking for Tracey Collins. She's his longtime partner, his "other half," and the woman who has stayed largely in the shadows even as his world got louder and, eventually, a whole lot more complicated.
Who is Tracey Collins?
Tracey Collins is more than just a partner; she’s been a fixture in the New York City educational system for decades. She was born in New Orleans—a detail you can find in her 2008 book Sweet Promptings—but she’s a New Yorker through and through in terms of her career.
She spent over 30 years in the Department of Education (DOE). We’re talking teacher, principal, and eventually a senior adviser to the deputy chancellor. She was pulling in a salary of roughly $253,000 by the time she called it quits.
But here’s where it gets kinda messy.
Collins retired in November 2024. It wasn't exactly a "gold watch and a cake" kind of send-off. She stepped down right in the middle of a "no-show" job investigation. A whistleblower basically alleged she hadn't been to the office since the previous Thanksgiving. Pair that with the federal indictment against Adams that mentioned his "partner" benefiting from luxury travel perks, and you can see why she preferred to stay out of the spotlight.
They share a home in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Yeah, the New Jersey thing was a huge scandal during the campaign. Adams famously insisted his "permanent residence" was a basement apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant, but he’s spent plenty of time at that Fort Lee co-op with Tracey.
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The Personal Connection
They’ve been together for ages. Since at least 2006.
Tracey isn't a politician. She’s not out there kissing babies or making speeches. In fact, she was notably absent from his victory party in 2021. The first time many New Yorkers even saw her was at the 2022 Met Gala, where she wore an Oscar de la Renta gown (with a little help from Anna Wintour, no less).
Adams says they went vegan together. When she was diagnosed with pre-diabetes and he was dealing with type 2, they cleared out the kitchen. No more of the chicken jambalaya her mom used to make. Just plants. That kind of shared discipline tells you more about their bond than any wedding certificate could.
The Son: Jordan Coleman
Then there’s Jordan.
Jordan Coleman is Eric Adams’ only child. His mother is Chrisena Coleman, a former journalist whom Adams dated back in the 90s.
If you grew up watching Nickelodeon, you might actually recognize Jordan’s voice. He was Tyrone the Moose in The Backyardigans. That’s a wild bit of trivia, right? He used the money from that gig to fund a documentary when he was only 12.
Jordan is a bit of a polymath:
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- Filmmaker: He studied at American University and has worked for Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
- Rapper: He goes by the name Jayoo.
- Teacher: At one point, he was working as a substitute and coach in New Jersey.
He’s not just "the Mayor’s son." He’s got his own vibe. He even competed on an Albanian music talent show called Kënga Magjike. He and his dad have a public disagreement over drill rap—Eric hates it, Jordan thinks it’s been misunderstood. It’s the kind of classic father-son friction that makes them feel like a real family, despite the Gracie Mansion backdrop.
The Rest of the Adams Clan
Family is a big word for Eric. He was one of six kids.
His mother, Dorothy Mae Adams-Streeter, was the heartbeat of his story. She cleaned houses, worked double shifts, and raised her kids in a rat-infested tenement in Bushwick. When Adams was sworn in as mayor, he held a picture of her. She passed away in 2021, just before he took office, which is pretty heartbreaking when you think about how much he credits her for his success.
His brother, Bernard Adams, also made headlines. He’s a former NYPD sergeant. Shortly after Eric became mayor, he tried to appoint Bernard as a deputy police commissioner. People screamed "nepotism" so loud that Bernard ended up taking a $1-a-year salary as a security adviser instead. He eventually stepped down in 2023.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think because he's "The Mayor," there must be a traditional First Lady. New York doesn't really do "traditional."
There is no "Mrs. Adams."
The family dynamic is modern, spread out across Brooklyn and New Jersey, and definitely complicated by the legal battles that defined his term.
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Moving Forward: What to Watch
If you're following the eric adams wife and family story, the focus is shifting away from the red carpets and toward the legal filings. Tracey Collins is now retired, and while she hasn't been charged with a crime, her name appears in the periphery of the federal cases.
Jordan continues to release music, recently dropping an EP called Jet Lag Dreams.
Actionable Insights for the Curious:
- Check the DOE records: If you’re interested in the "no-show" allegations, the Department of Investigation (DOI) is the place where those reports eventually land.
- Follow the music: If you want to see what Jordan is up to, look for "Jayoo" on streaming platforms. It’s a glimpse into the "First Family" that isn't filtered through a press secretary.
- Verify the "Wife" myth: Whenever you see a headline about "Eric Adams' wife," take it with a grain of salt. It’s almost always a shorthand for Tracey Collins.
The Adams family is a quintessential New York story. It’s about grit, rising from poverty, and then having to handle the intense, often brutal scrutiny that comes with the highest office in the city. It isn't always pretty, and it definitely isn't simple.
The reality of Eric Adams' personal life is a mix of long-term loyalty to Tracey Collins and a deep pride in his son’s creative pursuits. Whether they are in a Jersey co-op or a Brooklyn basement, they remain the inner circle of a man who has spent his entire life in the public eye.
The story of the Adams family is still being written, especially as the 2025-2026 political cycle unfolds. For now, the most important thing is to separate the "First Lady" labels from the real woman who has stood by him for twenty years.
Next steps? Keep an eye on the DOI's final report regarding the DOE's administrative investigations if you want the full picture of Tracey's career finale. Or just go listen to Tyrone the Moose—it’s a lot more relaxing.