Woodruff started dating the Boyz n the Hood star in 1989 and put a ring on him in 1992; of their 4 children, 2 shun the spotlight, but the others are making their way in the entertainment industry

When it comes to making a marriage last, Ice Cube knows what it takes. The rapper and actor, 55, shared insights on his 32-year marriage to Kimberly Woodruff, 54, during Cam Newton’s Funky Friday podcast. “We want to be [married]. You’ve got to want it,” he said. “I don’t want nobody to have my woman. She’s mine. I’m hers.”

Kimberly Woodruff and rapper and actor Ice Cube have been married for almost 33 years. Photo: @icecube/Instagram

Married since 1992, the couple share four grown children – O’Shea Jr, 34, Darrell, 32, Kareema, 31 and Shareef, 24. Their enduring bond, built on commitment and honesty, has helped them weather decades together, Ice Cube stated.

Ice Cube and Kimberly Woodruff in the Chateau Nightclub & Gardens at the Paris Las Vegas, in 2011. Photo: Getty Images

“Every day ain’t gonna be roses. You can’t expect that from your spouse. It’s all about are y’all a family or not?” the rapper added. While not much is known about Kimberly’s background or career, she’s been the rock by Ice Cube’s side for more than three decades.

So who is the woman who has stood by him all these years? Here’s everything we know about Kimberly Woodruff.

How did Ice Cube and Kimberly Woodruff meet?

Ice Cube and Kimberly Woodruff married in 1992. Photo: @icecube/Instagram

In a 2022 chat with journalist Graham Bensinger on YouTube, Ice Cube, real name O’Shea Jackson Sr, reflected on the first time he saw Woodruff. Then, she was unavailable. “She didn’t want me. She turned me down. She was with somebody else,” he admitted. However, per Hollywood Life, six months later Woodruff was single and the timing was right. The pair began dating in 1989 and their bond deepened, culminating in their 1992 wedding.

What do their children do?

Ice Cube with wife Kimberly Woodruff and their first three children, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Darrell Jackson and Kareema Jackson, attending the premiere of movie Three Kings in Los Angeles, in 1999. Photo: Getty Images

According to The Sun, O’Shea Jr has made a name for himself, appearing as his father in Straight Outta Compton (2015) and pursuing a career as an actor, rapper and songwriter under the name OMG. Per People, Darrell, also known as Doughboy, has followed Ice Cube into the entertainment business by working with his father’s label, Lench Mob Records and his film production company, Cube Vision, as well as the Big3 basketball league, also founded by his dad.

Ice Cube and family at the 2017 ceremony honouring him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Photo: Getty Images

Kareema and Shareef prefer to stay out of the spotlight. Kareema’s last public appearance was supporting Ice Cube in May 2022 at the screening of the first two Obi-Wan Kenobi episodes. According to People, Shareef, a sports fan, joins his dad at games and family events.

Ice Cube proposed to Kimberly for a second time

Ice Cube and wife Kimberly Woodruff attend the premiere of Fist Fight, in February 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Twenty years into their marriage, Ice Cube decided to revisit his proposal to Woodruff. Per the Daily Mail, in a 2018 interview with Sydney radio station Nova, he revealed, “The second time I basically said, ‘If I propose again, would you say yes?’” Woodruff didn’t hesitate. “She said, ‘Yeah I would,’ so I didn’t really have a lot of pressure,” the rapper explained. “I had built up 20 years of good faith.”