John Nesta Marley is 'Truly Blessed' - Facts about Lauryn Hill's Son

John Nesta Marley, Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley's son, was eight years old when his parents parted ways. However, even at a young age, he was able to help his parents through difficult times but showed signs he won't follow in their musical footsteps.

John comes from a family rich with musical talent; his mother cemented herself as a musical genius highly decorated with multiple Grammy awards, while his grandfather, Bob Marley, needs little introduction as the beloved face of reggae.

His father and uncles continued the Marley legacy by producing timeless tunes. Still, John showed no interest in following in the footsteps of his family members but instead venturing into the world of fashion.

John Nesta Is "Truly Blessed"

Born in 2003, John is one of the five children his parents shared during their relationship. Though they were never married, Rohan and Lauryn spent ten years together before going their separate ways. The split left his father heartbroken, as he revealed:

"I feel sad that I loved her so much and faltered in expressing it to her somehow. It was my fault that she did not understand how I felt, and it was sad that we did not work out in that relationship sense. I was heartbroken for a long time."

Although his parents are no longer together, that did not stop them from maintaining a close bond with their son. In June, John's father took to Instagram to celebrate his son's second year at St. John University. "You're truly Blessed, My Lion, don't change anything." the proud father wrote.

John, who shares the same middle name as his late grandfather, joined the likes of J.Cole when he was accepted into the private Catholic university in New York. And before starting life as a university student, John's mother took to Instagram to celebrate his birthday.

The Grammy award-winning musician shared a collage of pictures of her son over the year, from when he was a baby to when he was a teenager with his growing dreadlocks, and in the caption, she wrote:

"I tell the story often of how your smile was a reflection of love and a source of clarity for me during challenging days. May you always connect to that source of love and let no fear or vain thing stop you from being your greatest."

John Shows His Interest in Fashion

While it's unclear what John is studying, he takes to Instagram from time to time to document his flair for fashion. From all-black outfits to graphic hoodies and turtle necks.

He had over ten thousand followers, with only eighteen posts at the time of writing. And bar one of his late grandfathers, John, used the social media platform to share his sense of style.

John's Mother Wrote about the Nuances of Her Parenting Style

In 2020, one of John's siblings, Selah Marley, shared her thoughts on their mother's parenting style on social media. In a since-deleted two-hour-long Instagram live, CNN reported that Selah spoke about her relationship with her parents and her mother's punishment methods.

Selah spoke of moments she referred to as "trauma" when her mother would direct her to fetch a belt. "My mom is an amazing woman, but she obviously didn't do everything right," Selah said. Her mother responded to her daughter's video in a lengthy Facebook post and wrote:

"Selah has every right to express herself– I encourage it. But she also got the discipline that black children get because we are held to a different standard. The discipline was seen through the lens of a young child."

Selah returned to social media in August 2020 to set the record straight. After her opinions were misconstrued, she clarified that she had made the video to heal and not for people to attack her parents, calling the situation "complex."

John Nesta Marley Is Close to His Siblings

John's parents welcomed their first child, Zion, in 1997, followed by Selah in 1998. In 2002, Lauryn gave birth to Jonh's brother, Joshua, and after John, she had her fifth child, Sarah, in 2007.

In May, like Kim Kardashian, Rohan was one proud parent when he shared a picture of his family enjoying quality time at the beach as the large family posed for the camera.