Tyler James Williams' 2 Brothers: All About Tyrel and Tylen (2024)

Abbott Elementary star Tyler James Williams isn’t the only entertainer in his family — his parents sang background for musical legends, like Patti LaBelle and Luther Vandross. But it doesn’t stop there: His younger brothers, Tyrel Jackson Williams and Tylen Jacob Williams, are also actors and musicians blazing their own paths in the entertainment industry.

Tyrel and Tylen got a taste of the entertainment industry with guest appearances on Tyler’s show Everybody Hates Chris. It wasn’t long though before Tyrel started acting in projects like Disney XD’s Lab Rats and the revival of Party Down. Tylen also followed in his brothers’ footsteps with acting roles in a number of TV series.

Today, both brothers work in the music industry as part of the music collective called grouptherapy. Tyrel is one of the main members, while Tylen — who also goes by the name Domino Williams — is a producer for the group.

All three brothers enjoy close relationships with one another. After Tyler made a public statement addressing people who questioned his sexuality, both Tyrel and Tylen spoke about how supportive their oldest brother was when they each came out as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

“We taught each other just how big the world can be when you decide for yourself who and what you are. What is authentic to you,” Tyrel wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in June 2023. “I want to give Ty his flowers this pride month. A true representation of healthy masculinity and effective allyship. Give him all of the awards forever.”

They’ve also supported one another through health challenges, including Tyler and Tyrel’s experiences with Crohn’s disease and the subsequent lifestyle changes they’ve made.

Here’s everything to know about Tyler James Williams’ brothers — Tyrel Jackson Williams and Tylen Jacob Williams — and their relationship with the actor.

They were born and raised in New York

All three brothers were born in Yonkers, Westchester County, New York. Tyler James Williams was born on Oct. 9, 1992; Tyrel Jackson Williams was born on March 16, 1997. The youngest of the Williams brothers, Tylen Jacob Williams was born on Dec. 8, 2001.

The boys were born to Le’Roy and Angela Williams, both of whom were musicians. Angela later wrote a book, My Child Is Going to Be Rich and Famous, about parenting working child actors. Le’Roy worked as a New York City police officer for two decades.

They starred in Everybody Hates Chris

Tyler’s big break came at 12 years old when he was cast to play a young Chris Rock on his semi-autobiographical sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. His younger brothers also appeared on the show as younger versions of the main characters: Tyrel appeared in three episodes as a baby and toddler, while Tylen appeared in two episodes as a younger version of Chris’ brother Drew.

All three brothers are in the entertainment business

Tyler isn’t the only star in the family. Tyrel has followed in his older brother’s footsteps as an actor, with an impressive résumé that includes roles on Lab Rats, Brockmire and Party Down. He also had guest roles on Community and Modern Family.

In addition to acting, Tyrel is a musician who performs and records as part of the music collective grouptherapy. Other members include Jadagrace and Coy Stewart (a.k.a. SWIM), both of whom were also child actors.

In an interview with Ones to Watch about grouptherapy’s music, Tyrel (who also goes by TJOnline) shared, “It was a process for us to figure out a way to be authentically who we are and stay true to what feels right for us while also taking notes and being able to make things accessible without sacrificing who we are, just being easily digestible.”

In another interview, Tyrel shared some key advice he took from his older brother Tyler about making the jump from child actor to professional adult. Tyler had experience with this himself, going from his teenage years on Everybody Hates Chris to his Golden Globe-winning performance on Abbott Elementary.

“The one bit of advice that he gave me that I sort of find myself returning to was: The show that you did is the show that you did, and people are going to love it for what it is, but if you want newer people who aren’t familiar with you to see you a different way, keep hitting that,” Tyrel shared with Polygon. “If you want to be seen differently, do different things.”

Tylen is also an actor, having appeared in series like Instant Mom and Wisdom of the Crowd.

Like Tyrel, Tylen is making a name for himself in the music industry. He’s a producer and musician who frequently works on projects with Tyrel’s music collective. Tyrel and Tylen produced their song “FUNKFEST,” and Tylen shared a behind-the-scenes video with the group breaking down the track’s production process.

Their parents were also performers

The star power runs deep in this family! Tyler shared in an interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show that his parents sang backup for stars like Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle and Nona Hendryx.

“My baby brother was 18 months old, and there’s a photo of Luther Vandross holding him, and he’s screaming as if he’s being tortured,” he shared.

"It's crazy how talent kind of moves through families,” Tyler added. “My brothers still do music now.”

When host Jennifer Hudson asked if he himself sang, Tyler was quick to respond. "I can hold a note, but ... when you have a family of singers who can flat-footed blow, ‘Can you sing?’ is a touchy question,” he joked. “Compared to them, no I cannot."

Tyler and Tyrel have Crohn’s disease

Tyler explained in an interview with Men’s Health that he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in his early 20s. He had a severe flare-up that required emergency surgery, first to remove 6 inches of his lower intestine, which had become inflamed and covered in scar tissue.

However, his intestines didn’t heal correctly and Tyler went into septic shock, requiring another emergency surgery and months of living on IV nutrition.

In 2020, Tyrel had his first flare-up of the same disease, though it was less severe.

Tyler and Tylen live together

Around the same time Tyrel had his first flare-up, Tyler invited Tylen to live with him. The three brothers focus on healthy living to avoid aggravating symptoms of Crohn’s.

Tyler shared with Men’s Health that he and Tylen cook healthy meals, like air-fried empanadas, and work out in a home gym together. Tylen told the magazine that Tyler had “always been goal-oriented,” while he “likes to question things.”

Tyler also shared that Tylen’s insight changed his approach to fitness. “Nothing feels worse than struggling to get weight up when you’re already tired,” he told his oldest brother. Tyler said that it inspired them to create a 30-minute circuit workout specifically for busier days.

“We’re just not afraid to go deep on anything we find interesting,” Tylen said. “Because you might find something that pushes you farther.”