Wanda Sykes has spent decades making us laugh at basically everything, but nothing hits quite like her stories about her family. If you’ve ever watched her stand-up, you know she doesn't hold back. She’s famously joked about being a "minority in her own home" because her wife and kids are white. It’s hilarious, sure, but it also touches on the very real, very messy dynamics of her life.
She has twins.
Olivia Lou and Lucas Claude were born back in April 2009. That makes them 16 now. Honestly, let that sink in for a second. The babies Wanda used to joke about returning to the hospital because she was too tired to function are now old enough to be behind the wheel of a car.
The Driving Lessons from Hell
Recently, Wanda has been vocal about this new stage of parenting: the "learner's permit" phase. Most parents find this stressful, but for Wanda, it’s a full-blown safety hazard. She’s been doing the rounds on shows like Today with Jenna & Friends and Kylie Kelce’s podcast Not Gonna Lie, basically admitting she’s too terrified to get in the car with them.
"I'm not doing that," she told PEOPLE in late 2025. Her plan? Hiring a professional with a brake on the passenger side. You can't really blame her.
What’s kind of sweet, in a very practical "parent" way, is that they aren't getting flashy new Teslas for their 16th birthdays. They’re learning to drive in a 2009 SUV that Wanda and her wife, Alex Sykes, bought the year the twins were born. It’s sturdy. It’s old. It’s perfect for a teenager who doesn't know what they're doing yet.
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Why She Won't Stop the Comedy Sets
Raising kids in the spotlight is tricky, especially when your mom is one of the sharpest observational comics in the world. As the twins hit middle school, they actually asked Wanda to stop talking about them on stage. Apparently, their friends’ parents were letting them watch her specials, and the kids were getting teased at school.
Wanda’s response? A hard no.
She joked that she has to keep the material in the set to pay for things like, well, their cars and lives. But on a deeper level, Wanda has always been an "open book" comic. Her reality is her material. She did make a compromise, though. She told them their friends shouldn't be watching her R-rated stand-up anyway and suggested they stick to watching her late-night appearances where the vibes are a bit more PG.
The French Connection
One of the funniest things about Wanda Sykes kids is the language barrier. Alex is French, and the twins are completely fluent. Wanda? Not so much.
- The kids speak French to each other.
- They speak French to their mom when they don't want her to know what they're saying.
- Wanda has described herself as the "bad cop" because when Alex reprimands them in French, it sounds like a lullaby. When Wanda does it, it sounds like a "Black mother" getting down to business.
They spend a lot of time in France with their grandparents. Wanda’s mentioned before that while she’s trying to keep up, she basically just watches French cartoons with them and hopes for the best.
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Social Media and the "Instagram Era"
For the longest time, you couldn't find a photo of Olivia or Lucas anywhere. Wanda and Alex have been incredibly protective of their privacy. No "nepo baby" social media launches here.
However, now that they’ve hit 16, the rules are softening. Wanda recently shared that they’ve finally been allowed to have Instagram accounts. But it’s not a free-for-all. The accounts are private, and the moms are monitoring everything. It’s a "slow ease-in," which is honestly some of the best parenting advice you’ll hear for the digital age.
Raising Activists
It hasn't all been jokes and driving lessons. Wanda and Alex have been intentional about making sure the kids understand the world. Back in 2020, they took the twins—who were about 11 at the time—to Black Lives Matter protests.
Wanda was honest about it later, saying the kids loved the marching but got "bored silly" during the speeches because it was hot and long. Her daughter even tried to fake a heat stroke to get out of it. It’s a very human moment that shows Wanda isn't trying to raise "perfect" kids; she's raising real ones.
The Reality of a Biracial, Same-Sex Household
Wanda often talks about the "white kids at the foot of the bed" story, which has become a staple of her comedy. She’s leaned into the absurdity of her life, but she also uses it to highlight how families are built on love, not just likeness.
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The twins are fraternal, and they have a very close relationship with both sides of their family. Despite the fame, Wanda has managed to give them a relatively normal upbringing in Pennsylvania and Los Angeles.
What You Should Keep in Mind
If you’re following Wanda’s journey as a parent, there are a few "expert" takeaways you can apply to your own life, even if you aren't a global superstar:
- Set boundaries on "sharing": If you post about your kids, check in with them as they get older. You might not be a comedian, but your "oversharing" on Facebook might be their version of a Netflix special.
- The "professional" route for driving: If teaching your teen to drive is ruining your relationship, hire an instructor. It’s worth the money for the peace of mind.
- Language is a bridge: If you have a multilingual household, embrace it, even if you’re the one left out of the joke occasionally.
Wanda Sykes has proven that you can be a "no-fun mom" and a comedy legend at the same time. As Olivia and Lucas navigate their late teens, expect more stories—just don't expect to see them on a public TikTok feed anytime soon. Wanda is keeping that gate locked for as long as she can.
Next Steps for You
If you're interested in how other celebrities handle privacy, you might want to look into how stars like Maya Rudolph or Dave Chappelle keep their children entirely out of the limelight despite their massive careers. Understanding these different "parenting blueprints" can help you decide how much of your own family life you want to share online.