Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Aiyanna Yasmine Epps |
| Date of Birth | June 2, 1999 (age 26 in 2025) |
| Birthplace | United States |
| Parents | Father: Omar Epps; Mother: Yusra Salama (deceased 2017) |
| Stepmother | Keisha Spivey Epps |
| Siblings | Half-sister: K’mari Mae Epps (b. 2004); Half-brother: Amir Epps (b. 2007) |
| Notable For | Entrepreneur; founder of Kalima Candles |
| Education | High school graduate (2017); college orientation in 2017 (institution undisclosed) |
| Public Persona | Low-profile; selective media appearances; family-focused |
| Residence | Primarily raised in California; current residence private |
Early Life and Milestones
Aiyanna Epps grew up largely beyond the white-hot flash of celebrity, cushioned by a family that valued normalcy over notoriety. Born on June 2, 1999, she is the eldest child of actor Omar Epps. By 2017—her senior year of high school—she notched a cluster of milestones: prom, graduation, and a college orientation that marked her first leap into independence. These moments were shared sparingly and lovingly by family, underscoring the balance she keeps between privacy and presence.
The loss of her mother, Yusra Salama, in 2017 marked a profound turning point. The grief that could have thrust her into the kind of public spiral so familiar in Hollywood instead redirected her energy toward meaning and memory. In the years that followed, she found grounding in self-care practices and a desire to build something that honored both legacy and healing. By her 21st birthday in 2020, she had settled into a rhythm—more stillness, fewer spotlights.
Family Ties: The Blended Epps Household
The Epps family is a quilt stitched from love, music, and intention. At its center stands the relationship between Aiyanna and her father, actor Omar Epps, known for performances that have spanned decades. He has been present at every milestone that mattered, a steady figure through rites of passage and seasons of change.
Her stepmother, singer Keisha Spivey Epps, adds melody to the household’s harmony. Keisha’s public notes about Aiyanna reflect warmth and pride, the kind of blended-family alchemy that is earned, not assumed. Half-sister K’mari Mae, born in 2004, follows a creative path of her own in music, while half-brother Amir, born in 2007, keeps an even lower profile as he navigates his teenage years. Extended family on Aiyanna’s paternal side includes her aunt, Aisha Epps, and grandmother, Bonnie Maria Epps—names that weave deeper roots into an already tight-knit tree.
What’s absent from the family narrative is just as revealing: no estrangements, no public feuds, no breaking-news flare-ups. Instead, there’s ritual—birthdays celebrated, graduations witnessed, and milestones quietly archived. In an era of oversharing, the Epps family’s restraint reads like a kind of modern elegance.
Entrepreneurship and Purpose: Kalima Candles
Around 2021–2022, Aiyanna channeled memory into mission by founding Kalima Candles, a wellness-minded company that pays tribute to her late mother. The brand reflects her core values: stillness, authenticity, and intentional living. Natural ingredients, comforting scents, and a focus on self-care frame the collection, offering more than fragrance—these are small rituals in a jar.
Before stepping into entrepreneurship, Aiyanna gathered real-world experience in everyday industries like restaurants and insurance. The arc is instructive: take in the world, learn how people live and work, then build something that serves them gently. This measured approach gives Kalima Candles a grounded identity—craft over clout, wellness over hype.
Her financial picture remains private and unestimated by reliable public data. It’s reasonable to view her business as early-stage and independent, a boutique venture rooted in purpose rather than scale. That choice—the road less loudly traveled—feels entirely by design.
Media Footprint and Public Persona
Aiyanna’s digital shadow is small by choice. She appears in family posts here and there, her image often paired with affectionate captions, and occasionally steps up to speak for herself. In 2023, she shared insights on themes like boundaries, stillness, and self-care in a podcast setting, articulating the inner scaffolding that supports her quiet life. There are no catalogues of interviews, no publicity blitzes, and no gimmicks. She lets her work and her values speak with a velvet voice.
Online, much of the chatter centers on her uncanny resemblance to her father—those strong features that skip no generation. Beyond that, the public narrative is refreshingly uneventful: no scandals, no legal battles, and no tabloid detours. It’s a personal brand built on what’s withheld as much as what’s revealed.
Dates and Data at a Glance
| Year/Date | Age | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| June 2, 1999 | 0 | Birth of Aiyanna Yasmine Epps |
| 2014 | 15 | Family arts performances and shared appearances with half-sister |
| 2017 (Spring) | 17–18 | Senior-year prom |
| 2017 (Summer) | 18 | High school graduation |
| 2017 (Late Summer) | 18 | College orientation (institution undisclosed) |
| 2017 (Fall) | 18 | Passing of mother, Yusra Salama |
| June 2, 2020 | 21 | 21st birthday noted by family |
| 2021–2022 | 22–23 | Launch of Kalima Candles |
| 2023 | 24 | Podcast appearance discussing self-care and boundaries |
| 2025 | 26 | Continues entrepreneurship with a low public profile |
Themes: Loss, Stillness, and the Shape of Resilience
Aiyanna’s story is not a headline but a through line. The absence of drama doesn’t make it dull; it makes it deliberate. Losing her mother in 2017 etched a permanent chapter in her life, yet the response—therapy, journaling, wellness, business with heart—reveals a countercultural strength. She embraces stillness not as escape but as strategy, a kind of quiet armor in a noisy world.
What emerges is an image of someone who stands at the edge of celebrity but does not let it define her. She is both daughter and doer, carrying a family name while crafting an identity that is distinctly her own.
The Epps Siblings: Parallel Paths
Siblings often mirror and diverge in surprising ways. In the Epps home, Aiyanna and K’mari chart parallel tracks—one toward wellness entrepreneurship, the other into music—each supporting the other’s wins. Amir, the youngest, grows up with two paths ahead of him and the freedom to choose neither if he wishes. The family blueprint favors presence over pressure, making room for multiple definitions of success.
FAQ
Who is Aiyanna Epps?
She is the eldest daughter of actor Omar Epps and the late Yusra Salama, known for leading a low-profile life and founding a wellness candle brand.
How old is she?
She was born on June 2, 1999, making her 26 years old in 2025.
What is Kalima Candles?
Kalima Candles is Aiyanna’s wellness-focused candle company, created in memory of her mother and centered on self-care and natural ingredients.
Is Aiyanna in a relationship?
She keeps her personal life private, and there are no verified public details about her dating status.
What do we know about her education?
She graduated high school in 2017 and attended a college orientation the same year; the institution has not been publicly shared.
Does she plan to act or sing like her parents?
There’s no public indication that she is pursuing acting or music; her focus appears to be entrepreneurship and wellness.
What happened to her mother?
Her mother, Yusra Salama, passed away in 2017, a loss that deeply influenced Aiyanna’s life and work.
What is her net worth?
There are no reliable public estimates of her net worth, and her finances remain private.
How is she connected to the rest of the Epps family?
She is part of a blended family with stepmother Keisha Spivey and younger half-siblings K’mari Mae and Amir.
Is she active on social media?
She maintains a minimal public presence online and appears selectively in family posts and occasional interviews.
