‘The Young And The Restless’ Star Bryton James Files for Divorce After Seven Months of Marriage
“Family Matters” star Bryton James has filed for divorce after 7 months of marriage.
Filings obtained by People, the “The Young and The Restless” actor filed for divorce from wife Jahaira James on Monday (October 13) due to “irreconcilable differences.”
TMZ first reported the news, sharing that James has asked the court to terminate any spousal support obligations for either of the former spouses and has requested Jahaira to revert to her former name once everything is finalized.
The former child star was previously married to Ashley Leisinger from 2011 to 2014, and shared on the State of Mind with Maurice Benard podcast in 2021 that he didn’t think he’d get married again.
He admitted then that while he isn’t opposed to marriage, it’s no longer something he sees for himself, noting that his perspective on the institution and its origins has changed over time.
“I have different ideas about the institution of marriage and what it’s really about,” he shared, explaining that although he respects it, he doesn’t plan to walk down that road again.
James also reflected on his evolving feelings toward parenthood, saying he’s come to better understand what he truly wants.
“It’s something I’ve always kind of known that I didn’t want to have children,” he said, adding that the realization became more concrete as he grew older. His experiences in past relationships, he noted, helped him confront those truths head-on and find peace in them.
Aside from divorce being on his plate, the 39-year-old has been actively pushing for a “Family Matters” reboot, but in animation form.
He shared that he has been toying with the idea of “taking the show and turning it into an animated series,” according to a report by BET.com this summer.
His vision includes a unique twist by “taking the old episodes, modernizing them, and kind of starting from scratch for the new generation.”
James already has the ball rolling, telling Entertainment Weekly he’s “got pretty far along” with the animated series idea.
He shared that he found a production company “in line to finance,” and brought “everybody on board,” including Jaleel White, who played Urkel.
“It's sitting in Warner Bros.' hands right now,” he told the outlet.
“That plan is still kind of floating around out there, and I'm still trying to pursue it."
