Aahana Swrup
In HBO Max’s reality show ‘Coming From America,’ the viewers are invited into the lives of multiple different families who decide to make the big move from America to Africa. One of these families includes The Kellys—a blended family with aspirations of making it into the stand-up comedy scene as a group. As such, with the move, the father, Gerald Kelly, his wife LaMara, and their sons, Isiah, Joshua, and Hunter, dreamed of bringing their material to a whole new audience in Ghana and opening their own comedy club. Thus, the family embarked on their adventure together, moving through culture shocks and trying to dominate a whole new side of the industry. Naturally, after following their story through the show, fans must have grown intrigued by the Kellys, inclined to wonder about their current lives.
The Kelly Father and Sons are Thriving as Stand-up Comedians
After their move to Ghana, Africa, at the beginning of 2022, the Kelly family made a return to America in a few months. Initially, their idea was to stay in America for a few months for their comedy tours and other gigs before returning to set up their lives in Ghana. As such, by March 2022, the family was back in the States, pursuing their comedy career among a familiar demographic. The same year, Gerald and his sons scored various gigs across the country, performing at classic stand-up venues, such as the Laugh Factory, Broadway’s Carolines, and Hollywood Improv. Consequently, the father & sons comedy group continued to grow bigger and bigger in America, garnering a substantial fan following.
The same year, Joshua went on to open for popular comedian Carl Payne, while Isiah and Gerald frequented solo shows. Still, despite their separate personal growth, the family continued to perform as one team. Two years later, the Kellys have cemented themselves within the comedy scene. In New York, they opened their own comedy club, the Brooklyn Comedy Experience, which has seen shows by comedians such as Janthony Brown and others. Furthermore, their years of hard work and effort have also led to many friendships and connections within the industry with notable actors/comedians like Mo’Nique, Chris Rock, and Kevin Hart.
Therefore, their plans to return to the African continent remain unknown as of now. Recently, Gerald and his kids went on a Father-Sons comedy Tour, covering cities like Harlem, Memphis, and New York. Moreover, they also participated in the Netflix is a Joke comedy event in May, opening up their content to a global audience. The family is also dabbling further in the entertainment industry and filmed a pilot for their show ‘Raising Comedians.’ Consequently, Gerald and his sons’ careers as comedians are on a rollercoaster that seems to only be going up!
Gerald and LaMara are 9 Years Into Their Marriage
In ‘Coming From America,’ the notable tension in Gerald and LaMara’s relationship as spouses remained evident. Since LaMara started managing Gerald and his sons’ careers as comedians shortly after they got together, the couple have always navigated professional and personal relationships together. Therefore, some friction was inevitable. Nonetheless, their trip to Ghana proved to be a significant turning point for the couple. Today, the duo continues to work through their problems together, building a firm partnership.
In July of this year, Gerald and LaMara celebrated their 9th wedding anniversary—marking a milestone in their relationship full of love and commitment. They’re also close to the various kids and stepkids they parent as a blended family. Between the two of them, the duo has eight kids, five of whom are in professional fields other than stand-up comedy. Additionally, LaMara continues to be the business manager for her husband’s and kids’ careers and provides her expertise to others through her consultancy company.
Isiah Kelly Bagged a Feature on Netflix
While the Kelly Family are known for doing comedy tours together, they also frequently work as separate artists, building upon their own solo identities as comedians. Isiah Kelly, Gerald’s oldest son who pursues comedy beside him, is no exception and has worked hard on his craft over the years. Consequently, he has accumulated his own fanbase through his various endeavors. Likewise, as he continues to grow within the stand-up comedy circles, his social life remains full of acquaintanceships and friendships with other comedians, including Lavell Crawford, Chris Tucker, Guy Torry, and more.
In August, Isiah helmed the stage without his family on numerous occasions, including the Moon Tower Comedy Festival, the Deadass Comedy Show, and NYC Kakes’ High Times and Punchlines. His hard work further resulted in a significant achievement as he participated in Netflix’s ‘Verified Stand-up,’ where he performed his own act alongside nine other comedians. Thus, while Isiah continues to be a part of the Kelly Father & Sons comedy group, he’s also flourishing in his solo career, paving a path of his own.
Joshua Kelly Prefers to Keep His Personal Life Private
While most of the Kelly family regularly updates their fans on their professional and personal lives through their social media account, Joshua Kelly seems to prefer a privacy screen over his private life. For the same reason, unlike his siblings, he prefers not to keep his Instagram public. Nonetheless, fans can still get updates about Joshua through his family’s accounts, as he remains a consistent feature on the Instagram feeds of his parents and siblings.
After recently turning 18 in April, Joshua seems to remain steadfast on his comedy-centered career path and continues to put on shows with his father and brothers. Recently, he also underwent surgery and had to use crutches for a while. Although the reason behind the surgery is yet undisclosed, Joshua retained his sense of humor even during his recovery, entertaining fans with a few skits. He also attended his high school prom in May with a special friend, with the couple arriving in charmingly matching outfits.
Hunter Kelly is Also Passionate About Basketball
Hunter Kelly started his comedy career at a young age, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with from as early as 2019. Now, in 2024, when he turned 11 in August, he continues to take on various stages across states with his stand-up routines. However, outside of comedy, he also has other interests and passions, particularly in the sport of Basketball. He can often be found practicing on basketball courts with his older brother, Joshua. He also seems to be a fan of the Boston Celtics, attending games with his family to cheer on his favorite team from the stands. In July, he also participated in the All-Star game at the Basketball Hall of Fame, also known as Hoop Hall. After winning a medal for his performance, the young comedian shared the achievement with his fans on social media, humorously alluding to dribbling a career in both comedy and Basketball.
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