Morris Chestnut is a certified show biz veteran who has appeared on TV, the big screen, and stage for three decades. There’s no doubt that his good looks have something to do with his fame—in 2015, he earned People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” title. The heartthrob even went viral on July 8, 2020, when a Twitter user declared it “Morris Chestnut Appreciation Day.” Chestnut immediately trended on social media, and fans flooded feeds with odes to the Hollywood hunk.
We imagine Morris Chestnut’s wife Pam Byse was just as amused as the actor himself. Byse has stood by his side for 25 years—a lifetime by celebrity standards. Find out who she is and what we know about the happy couple.
Who Is Morris Chestnut’s Wife?
Pam Byse was born on December 22, 1973. She met Chestnut at an Atlanta club in the early 1990s.
“I was doing a TV movie out there and I went to the club,” Morris said in an interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine (via BlackDoctor.org). “Then I saw Pam, who is my wife, and I said, ‘What’s up with her?’ [My friend] said, ‘Nah, man, don’t waste your time. She doesn’t give anybody no play.’ So as soon as he said that, I was like, ‘That’s the woman I need to go holler at.'”
The couple married in 1995 and have two children. Their son Grant is a 2019 graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder. Daughter Paige is a model who splits her time between New York and LA.
Byse is a pretty private woman. She’s not active on social media—in fact, she doesn’t seem to even have any accounts. This is in stark contrast to her husband, who is vocal on multiple platforms and uses them to proclaim his love for his wife. Take this 2019 birthday post on Instagram, in which he proclaims, “The world was blessed with one of the most extraordinary, genuine loyal human beings the moment you took your first breath!”
The Chestnuts Know What It Takes To Make A Relationship Last
In a 2019 appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Chestnut revealed that the couple’s long-term success boiled down to one thing. “I would tell people to communicate,” he said. “The reason it’s a very hard thing to do is because … sometimes she just wants me to listen … she would definitely say I’m a good listener.”
He also told ESSENCE in 2014 that mutual respect was essential for a strong relationship.
Another tip? Keeping things fresh. For instance, take a listen as Chestnut tells Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest about the work that went into planning Byse’s surprise 50th birthday party: