Is Debbie Allen DeVaughn Nixon’s mom? All about family as actress’s mother Vivian Ayers passes away

Vivian Ayers, the mother of Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad, has died at the age of 102. Allen shared a heartfelt post about her mother’s demise on August 21, 2025, which included a collage of photos with her family. She wrote in the caption:

“Mommie you have transformed into that cosmic bird Hawk that lives and breathes Freedom. We will follow your trail of golden dust and continue to climb higher. We promise ‘to be true, be beautiful, be Free’ Love Love Love Love Love. Norman, Debbie, Lish, Tex, Hugh, Vivi, Thump, Condola, Billy, Oliver, Gel, Tracey, Carmen, Shiloh, Aviah, Eillie, Gia,and all the Turks in our family.”

Allen has been married to former NBA player Norm Nixon since 1984. They share three children. While Allen is the biological mother of Vivian Nixon and Norman Nixon Jr., she is the stepmother to Nixon’s son, DeVaughn Nixon, whom he welcomed in a previous relationship.

The passing of her mother, Vivian Ayers, has brought the family of Debbie Allen into focus. Here is all we know.

All about the family of Debbie Allen

Debbie Allen was born in Houston, Texas, to parents Vivian Elizabeth (Ayers) Allen and Andrew Arthur Allen.

Vivian, who recently passed away, was a poet, playwright, scholar, and cultural activist. She worked with the Harris County Community Association in the city, according to a report in the People’s magazine. Her father was an orthodontist. He died of diabetes in 1984.

They welcomed four children together – Debbie, her sister, Phylicia Rashad, and their brothers, Hugh Allen and Andrew Arthur "Tex" Allen Jr.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Debbie Allen mentioned how they grew up in a low-income family. She told the outlet:

“We grew up with not a lot of money. We grew up with racial segregation. We grew up not being able to go to ballet class or downtown to a restaurant or to a movie.”

She added that their mother encouraged them to believe in their creativity, which motivated them to pursue their careers. After facing racism in the US, the family moved to Mexico. Allen graduated from Howard University in 1971 with a BFA in Classical Greek Literature, Speech, and Theatre. She eventually became an actress and dancer, known for her roles in Fame, Grey’s Anatomy, S.W.A.T., and A Different World.

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Debbie Allen was married twice. In June 1975, the actress married Winnfred Wilford, a publicity man with CBS Records, according to The New York Times. After their divorce in 1983, she then tied the knot with Norman Nixon in 1984, welcoming two children - daughter Vivian Nixon, a dancer and actress, and son Norman Nixon Jr., a basketball player.

DeVaughn Nixon is a well-known actor in the Hollywood industry. He is known for his roles in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Bodyguard. He was also featured in several TV series, such as JAG, The Unit, and The Game, among others.

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