Jesse Williams Coparents With Ex Aryn Drake-Lee — What We Know About His 2 Kids

"Grey's Anatomy" alum Jesse Williams balances his busy acting career with being a father of two. The star made his onscreen debut on "Law & Order" in 2006 and later became a household name after landing the role of Jackson Avery in "Grey's Anatomy," which he starred in from 2009 to 2022. Along with his role on the long-lasting medical drama, Williams has also appeared in a variety of films, ranging from "The Butler" to "Secret Headquarters," and most recently, Netflix's "Your Place or Mine." Off screen and on stage, Williams recently played Darren Lemming in the 2022 revival of "Take Me Out," which earned him a Tony nomination for best featured actor in a play.

When he isn't working, Williams shares parenting duties with his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee. The two met in 2007 and married in September 2012, as reported by People. The two kept their relationship out of the spotlight and privately welcomed their two children, Sadie and Maceo, in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Williams and Drake-Lee ultimately separated in 2017 and have since been in a very public and bitter custody battle, though at the core of their disagreements, their two children have remained a priority.

Williams touched on what he considers the biggest parenting challenge in an interview with Us Weekly, telling the outlet, "They have games at the same time [in] different places all weekend and having to make a choice [about which one to go to] is brutal. Just making sure you're present in the right ways and prioritizing quality over quantity [is my focus]."

While Williams has been protective about his children's privacy over the years, he has shared snippets of their lives on occasion. Here's what we know about them.

Williams's first child, Sadie Williams, was born in December 2013. Sadie's exact birth date has been kept private by Williams and Drake-Lee, but the "Secret Headquarters" actor did share his newfound excitement about fatherhood to People shortly after her birth. "It's hard to describe. It's wonderful — a new discovery every day. It's great and I'm loving it. Not getting too much sleep. I'm just trying to put together three solid hours of cogent communication," he joked.

For the most part, Williams tries his best to keep Sadie out of the public eye, especially during the ongoing custody challenges between him and Drake-Lee. He has, however, shared a few special moments between him and Sadie on Instagram, ranging from a hilariously sweet school project to a father-daughter date that involved Williams painting her nails.

The second of the Williams children, Maceo August Lion-Baldwin Williams, was welcomed into the world on June 11, 2015, as reported by Entertainment Tonight. Like his older sister, Maceo's life is mostly kept private and away from the public eye. Outside of presumably doing normal kid activities, Maceo also seems to travel back and forth between LA and New York City to spend equal time with his mom and dad. Williams shared a video on Instagram of Maceo in the Big Apple during the Broadway run of "Take Me Out" in October 2022, but that is the most we have seen of the younger Williams child as of lately.