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Morris Chestnut is a certified show biz veteran who has appeared on TV, the big screen, and stage for three decades. There’s no doubt that his good looks have something to do with his fame—in 2015, he earned People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” title. The heartthrob even went viral on July 8 when a Twitter user declared it “Morris Chestnut Appreciation Day.” Chestnut immediately trended on social media, and fans flooded feeds with odes to the Hollywood hunk.
We imagine Morris Chestnut’s wife Pam Byse was just as amused as the actor himself. Byse has stood by his side for 25 years—a lifetime by celebrity standards. Find out who she is and what we know about the happy couple.
Who Is Morris Chestnut?
Morris Chestnut, 51, was born in South Central LA and raised in the suburb of Cerritos. He made his acting debut in 1990 with a part in Freddy’s Nightmares (or A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series). More recently, he’s starred in a number of prime-time series, including Rosewood, Goliath, and The Enemy Within. He currently has a supporting role on the Fox medical drama The Resident.
In 1991, Chestnut got his big break playing Ricky Baker in John Singleton’s directorial debut, Boyz n the Hood. The coming-of-age drama gave viewers a raw look at inner-city life and the obstacles faced by the Black community. In 2017, Chestnut told Jimmy Kimmel that the role still influences people to this day.
Now that Chestnut is a seasoned pro, many are curious about the details of his personal life. Is the actor single or taken? Who might he be linked to? It turns out Chestnut has been married for a quarter of a century! Here’s what we know about his real-life leading lady.
Who Is Morris Chestnut’s Wife?
Pam Byse was born on December 22, 1973. She met Chestnut at an Atlanta club in the early 1990s.
“I was doing a TV movie out there and I went to the club,” Morris said in an interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine. “Then I saw Pam, who is my wife, and I said, ‘What’s up with her?’ [My friend] said, ‘Nah, man, don’t waste your time. She doesn’t give anybody no play.’ So as soon as he said that, I was like, ‘That’s the woman I need to go holler at.'”
The couple married in 1995 and have two children. Their son Grant is a 2019 graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder. Daughter Paige is a model who splits her time between New York and LA.
Byse is a pretty private woman. She’s not active on social media—in fact, she doesn’t seem to even have any accounts. This is in stark contrast to her husband, who is vocal on multiple platforms and uses them to proclaim his love for his wife. Take this 2019 birthday post on Instagram, in which he proclaims, “The world was blessed with one of the most extraordinary, genuine loyal human beings the moment you took your first breath!”
In a 2019 appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Chestnut revealed that the couple’s long-term success boiled down to one thing. “I would tell people to communicate,” he said. “The reason it’s a very hard thing to do is because… sometimes she just wants me to listen… she would definitely say I’m a good listener.”
Another tip? Keeping things fresh. For instance, take a listen as Chestnut tells Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest about the work that went into planning Byse’s surprise 50th birthday party:
What Is Morris Chestnut’s And Pam Byse’s Net Worth?
Chestnut and Byse’s estimated net worth is as high as $17 million and low as $6 million. We suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle. Chestnut has been so prolific in his work that it’s hard to believe he hasn’t profited well off of it. And while he didn’t specify what make or model, in the above interview on Live!, he did reveal Pam’s 50th birthday present from him was a new car. That is definitely above the norm for birthday gifts!
He also has a real estate portfolio to support a number north of seven figures. In 2012, he took a $1 million loss selling an equestrian property in Hidden Hills for $2.3 million (he purchased it five years earlier for $3.3 million.) But that didn’t stop him from recently buying a $2.44 million home. Variety reports that the property has six bedrooms, seven-and-a-half-baths, and is located in a guard-gated enclave of Calabasas. It’s a far cry from Cerritos, and by all accounts, it’s well-deserved.