The Wendy Williams Show host Sherri Shepherd has a great relationship with her son, Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr. She fought for him, fought through his developmental issues, and helped him become the man he is today.
So, who is this lucky kid? Let’s find out more about him in the following article.
Meet Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr, Sherri Shepherd Son
Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr. is Sherri Shepherd’s only biological son — born with developmental delays that left him with special needs. Thankfully, Jeffrey has gotten better over the years. The handsome man has now gone from wanting to kiss his mom all the time to saying, “Mom, get out of my room,” Sherri explains.
Additionally, in an interview, Sherri described Jeffrey as “perfectly imperfect in every way.” But while this statement may sound like the words of any mother encouraging her child, the “perfectly imperfect” part didn’t sit well with parents of “special needs” children. The Wendy Williams Show host was soon criticized online.
But despite being a “special kid,” Jeffrey has a lot to offer his mother. According to Sherri, her son encouraged her every day when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007. He encouraged her to eat healthy, exercise, and have more energy to do things with him.
“I had this image of my son at age 5, holding his teddy bear, and he was crying because he was trying to figure out where heaven was… because that’s where everyone said mommy was. And that woke me up!” Sherri explained.
Overall, the mother-son pair has a give-and-take relationship. One day, the TV star wants her son to grow up to be a handsome, independent man who can also take care of her. No wonder she is preparing for him now!
Back in May 2021, when the two went to a restaurant, Sherri made him pay for the food. “He took out all the money in the bank to pay,” she recalled.
Fun Fact: Jeffrey hates it when his mother wears leggings.
Who is Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr’s father?
Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr.’s father is actor Jeff Tarpley Sr. (age 54 as of 2022). He is known for his roles in Cold Cabin (2010), Tapped Out (2003), King of the Open Mics (2000), and Dead Man on Campus (1998).
Unfortunately, Sherri and Jeffrey’s biological father divorced in 2010 after 10 years of marriage.
Their custody battle was a tumultuous one! Jeffrey Sr. filed for sole custody of their son, claiming Sherri was an unfit mother. He even shared that their 9-year-old son was neglected, nearly illiterate, and unable to tie his shoes.
However, the judge ruled in Sherri’s favor, granting Jeffrey Sr. visitation rights.
According to Sherri, her ex-husband did not exercise his visitation rights for the first nine years of Jeffrey’s life. But then he eventually stopped responding.
So Sherri continued to care for Jeffrey as a single mother.
Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr Age
Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr. is 16 years old in 2022.
He celebrated his 16th birthday with family and friends at a birthday party hosted by Latrice Johnson.
How tall is Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr?
At age 16, Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr. was taller than his mother Sherri, who was 5 feet 1 inch (156 cm) tall.
Did you know: Jeffrey has an IMDb account thanks to his appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2005 and 2006.
What high school does Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr attend?
Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr. attended the Los Angeles Unified School District.
During the COVID pandemic in 2020, Jeffrey was home for 2 months and Sherri humorously shared on IG that she was “heartbroken” because she had to “cook breakfast, lunch and dinner” for Jeffrey every day since then.
But joking aside, Sherri has claimed that remote learning has been “absolutely detrimental” to her son’s mental health. Unable to leave his room, Jeffrey reportedly became depressed. The only way she could get him to engage in various activities with him was to do them.
Related FAQs
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Where was Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr born?
Jeffrey was born 15 weeks premature and spent more than four months in the NICU.
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What is Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr’s birthday?
Jeffrey received birthday wishes on April 22, which makes him a Taurus.
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Does Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr have any siblings?
Technically, Jeffrey has a sibling named LJ, born on August 5, 2014 in Pennsylvania.
Why “technically?” Well, LJ was born via a surrogate, after Sherri and her ex-husband Lamar Sally Jr. discovered that Sherri’s eggs were no longer viable. But the two divorced in 2014 when their surrogate was just a few months pregnant with their child.
So Sherri then fought against having her name printed on LJ’s birth certificate. But her request was denied. Furthermore, she even had to pay $4,100 in child support every month.
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Is Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr on Instagram?
No, we couldn’t find Jeffrey on Instagram.
However, his image is mentioned a lot on his mother’s IG account @sherrieshepherd.