Prince's Sister Raised Six Kids With Her Husband — Let's Meet the Blended Family!

Five months before her death, Prince's only full sibling announced she was retiring. Like her more famous brother, Tyka Nelson was also a musician who would go on to release four albums. Despite what her career suggests, Tyka thought of herself as a writer, not a singer.

Tyka told the Dakota Cooks blog in June 2024 that she was writing a memoir. Hopefully, she was able to put pen to paper before her death the following November. Apart from being Prince's protector and the last connection his fans had to him, she was also a wife and mother to six children. Here's what we know about her family.

Tyka managed to keep her private life under wraps, which means little is known about her children. She and her husband, Maurice Phillips, were married in June 2010, per Heavy. Because they both had kids from previous relationships, Tyka often joked that they were the Black Brady Bunch.

Maurice had three daughters and one son while Tyka brought along two sons of her own. Despite this new family dynamic, Tyka often posted about the kids on Facebook as if they were her own. "This is my youngest daughter," she wrote in a post dated Feb. 14, 2016. "Although we met 11 years ago, she became my Facebook friend, lol, five years ago. How time flies." This was written for and about Maurice's daughter Danielle, who commented, "Love you mom."

Sadly at least one of their children preceded Tyka in death. On Sept. 11, 2024, Rachard Phillips passed away at the age of 39. "As the heartbeat of every gathering, his infectious laughter and jokes brought joy to friends and family," said his obituary. "His greatest pride was being an extraordinary father to Joshua L. Phillips."