All About Arsenio Hall's Son Arsenio Cheron Hall Jr.

Comedian Arsenio Hall welcomed his namesake child in 1999

Arsenio Hall is a proud father to one son, Arsenio Cheron Hall Jr., who goes by his middle name.

“I love him so much,” he told Oprah Winfrey in a 2013 interview. “He’s such a good kid. I’m so blessed. He’s healthy, and he’s a good kid — smart kid, beautiful kid."

The Coming 2 America star welcomed his only child in 1999 with then-partner Cheryl Bonacci. The comedian has shared that his split from Cheron's mother happened when their son was relatively young. As a result, Hall took a step back from his career in the spotlight to focus on fatherhood.

Speaking to USA Today in 2013, Hall explained that he wanted to find “more balance” in his life. “I have no regrets. I’ve had an incredible time away,” he said. “I was able to raise my son in a way that my parents weren't able to be in my life.”

During his time away from Hollywood, the former talk show host spent his days on dad duty: taking Cheron to school, helping him with homework and reading bedtime stories. Despite the difficulties of being a single parent, it was a rewarding experience for Hall.

“I love being a father. There’s nothing I love more than that,” he told the outlet.

Here’s everything to know about Arsenio Hall’s son, Arsenio Cheron Hall Jr.

He was born in September 1999

According to Hall, he never expected to have kids: In an article he wrote for Newsweek in 2012, the TV personality shared that a doctor told him that having children “might not be physically possible” for him.

“The idea of not becoming a dad saddened me big time,” he wrote. “At times it was difficult to remain hopeful. But that all changed a few years later, when my girlfriend at the time became pregnant.”

In September 1999, he and Bonacci welcomed their son.

Hall put his career on hold to prioritize his son

After Hall and Bonacci ended their relationship following their son’s birth, he raised Cheron as a single father. In the process, the actor stepped back from Hollywood to focus on his child.

“I was determined to be there for my son's first walk, talk, boo-boo, and whatever else,” he wrote in Newsweek. “I didn't want to miss a thing.”

A major part of that choice stemmed from Hall’s own childhood experiences. “My dad never threw me a football. He’s never been to a gym to see me play basketball,” he told the New York Post in 2012. “I think the way I raise my kid is a result of something that is inside of me that I am holding on to.”

Hall’s own parents divorced when he was young, and his mother worked two jobs, which meant he was often alone after school. “I was a pretty lonely kid who grew up fast and was pretty independent. I wanted my kid to have a different upbringing,” he explained.

Due to his success in the entertainment business, he was able to be a stay-at-home dad, putting all of his time and energy into parenting his son.

“When I became a dad, I really fell in love with fatherhood,” he told Winfrey in 2013. "So I didn't care about show business at that point.”

Still, the actor acknowledged the hardships that came along with it.

“I knew going in that being a single parent would be one of the toughest jobs I'd ever have,” he wrote in Newsweek. “I'd been a talk-show host, actor, comic, and on and on, but this gig was going to be my defining moment. So I made a decision to stop working and put my career on hold.”

Cheron supported Hall’s appearance on Celebrity Apprentice

For over a decade, Hall kept a low profile. Although he did take on a few projects during that time, like The Proud Family Movie, he mostly stayed out of the spotlight to focus on being a dad.

“I know I did the right thing by taking time off to raise my son,” he wrote in Newsweek. “I turned down many opportunities over the years because I didn't want to leave him for long periods of time.”

Still, Hall acknowledged that he sometimes missed being a talk show host or working on set. “My hope was that when [Cheron] was 10 or 12 I could somehow slide back into the business,” he told the New York Post.

His wish came true in 2012 when Hall made his comeback on the reality competition game show, Celebrity Apprentice.

In his essay for Newsweek, Hall explained that although he wanted to return to television at some point, he only decided to go for it after his son encouraged him.

“Celebrity Apprentice was one show he and I always loved to watch together,” he wrote. “I'd been offered the chance to appear on the show a few times, but I turned it down because it would have taken me away from him for two months. But one day he just said to me, ‘Dad, go to New York and do Celebrity Apprentice. I want you to. You can win it all.’ ”

Cheron turned out to be right, and Hall won season 5 of the reality show.

Cheron went to Indiana University

After graduating high school, Cheron studied business at Indiana University. In August 2017, Hall shared an Instagram post about his son’s educational pursuits.

“He gave my life meaning, and triggered a level of unconditional love & devotion I didn't know I was capable of!” he wrote in the caption. “Today my 'mini me' starts a new journey.”

When Cheron graduated in May 2021, Hall had another proud father moment on Instagram. “My amazing son!” he wrote alongside a graduation photo.

Cheron is a musician

While Cheron is more private than his famous father, he seems to have inherited some of his creative drive. In 2022, he released his debut EP The Fulcrum.

Hall promoted the album and gave his unconditional support on social media. “My son’s new video!” he wrote alongside an Instagram reel. “Arsenio CHERON Hall[.] 'Great Minds' feat. his homie JAH. Check it out!!!”

A few months later, he shared another Instagram reel, showcasing Cheron’s talent. “Watched my son crush it! His first LIVE performance,” he captioned it.

Hall was inspired by Michael Jordan's parenting

Prior to Cheron’s birth, Hall wasn’t sure he wanted to have kids. That changed, though, after taking Magic Johnson’s son, EJ, to a Los Angeles Lakers game.

“Magic comes down the hallway and EJ becomes like a water balloon in my arms, because he sees [him],” he said in a 2021 interview with Esquire. “I said, ‘I can’t leave here without a kid.’ ”

That same year, he sat down with Johnson for Interview magazine. “I don’t know if I ever said this to you, but I honestly believe that I have a son because of you,” he told the NBA legend.

Hall went on to describe the experience of taking EJ to the game and watching them together.

“There was a connection between a dad and his baby son that I had never been that close to,” he said. “The love that he showed for you that day—and I’ll cry if I talk about it any longer—it made me realize where I had to go at that moment in my life. And it took a while, but I knew I was no longer the guy who was not going to have kids.”

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