Who Is Kyla Pratt’s Boyfriend? All About Danny Kirkpatrick (and Why They Aren’t in a Rush to Get Married)

‘Special Forces’ star Kyla Pratt and Danny Kirkpatrick have been together for over a decade and share two daughters

Kyla Pratt and Danny Kirkpatrick at the “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” World Premiere on June 20, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Credit : Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

Kyla Pratt and her boyfriend, Danny Kirkpatrick, are in it for the long haul.

The Proud Family actress and her longtime partner first met around 2008 after being introduced by Kirkpatrick’s cousin. They’ve been together since, and they now share two daughters, Lyric, born in 2010, and Liyah, born in 2013.

Pratt and Kirkpatrick also appeared together on Black Ink Crew: Los Angeles which featured his journey to founding a tattoo shop in his hometown, Compton, Calif.

Despite being together for over a decade, the couple have made it clear they are in no rush to tie the knot. Pratt addressed their decision to wait during a 2014 interview with DJVlad TV, saying, “As long as we are friends, as long as we communicate, as long as we are doing a great job raising our kids together, nothing else matters.”

All About Kyla Pratt’s 2 Kids

Ten years later, in an interview with E! News, Pratt reiterated their stance, playfully dismissing external pressures. “You’re looking at two gangsters who are living their life and loving each other. We’re good. Don’t worry about what we’re doing,” she said.

So, who is Kyla Pratt’s boyfriend? Here’s everything to know about Danny Kirkpatrick and his relationship with the actress.

He studied art

Danny Kirkpatrick draws a picture with his daughter.Danny Kirkpatrick/ Instagram

Kirkpatrick had an early aptitude for the arts. When he was in first grade, his teacher called home because she noticed his drawings, according to a 2019 interview with LA Weekly, but Kirkpatrick doesn’t recall his early skill. “I didn’t realize until I was older I had a real talent,” he said.

Kirkpatrick continued drawing and discovered a passion for music, too, but he devoted most of his time to football while at Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif. According to LA Weekly, he majored in art at Lincoln College before losing his scholarship in 2005 due to a non-violent drug offense.

He recalled being given 30 days to show proof of employment or income, and his friend prompted him to try selling his art. Kirkpatrick was surprised to find that there was a market for his drawings.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t look at drawing as a gift or something I could make a living at, but it was my own god-given talent,” he told LA Weekly.

He is a tattoo artist

Kyla Pratt and Danny Kirkpatrick at the 2024 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

When he got back into drawing, Kirkpatrick realized he could turn his talent into a career as a tattoo artist. His earliest practice sessions involved tattooing his own legs and once he felt more confident, he convinced a friend to let him start tattooing them instead.

With his friend serving as a “walking canvas,” Kirkpatrick took to the streets of Compton, showcasing his work and using the tattoos he’d created to attract new clients.

As word spread about his talent, Kirkpatrick grew a reputation, particularly within Compton’s music community. This exposure eventually opened doors to the hip-hop scene, where he began working with high-profile clients, including rapper and producer Nas, a milestone he reflected on during a 2019 interview with This Is 50.

They were introduced by one of Kirkpatrick’s cousins

Kyla Pratt and Danny Kirkpatrick smile with their daughter. Kyla Pratt/Instagram

Pratt and Kirkpatrick met around 2008 in Gardena, Calif., where Kirkpatrick was living with two cousins and serving probation for his 2005 non-violent drug offense. One of his cousins was friends with Pratt and invited her over to the house, where she met Kirkpatrick.

They quickly started joking together and eventually began dating. The tattoo artist told VH1 that he wasn’t aware of Pratt’s work as an actress when they first met.

“When people came up to me after we started dating and said, ‘you’re dating Penny Proud,’ I was clueless to what they were talking about,” he said. “I looked at her as a kid, not knowing her full impact and resume.”

Another family member has also approved of their relationship. On his show, Black Ink Crew: Los Angeles, Kirkpatrick reflected on his mother’s relationship with Pratt.

“The moment I knew Kyla was for me was when my mom approved it,” he shared on the show. Kirkpatrick fondly recalled his mother’s words: “She’s a good one. Don’t mess it up.”

They are in no rush to get married

Kyla Pratt and Danny Kirkpatrick arrive at “Verses And Flow” Season 4 taping at Siren Studios on May 8, 2014 in Hollywood, California.Maury Phillips/WireImage

Pratt opened up about her views on marriage in an interview with DJVlad TV in 2014.

“We’re gonna get married when we feel like it,” Pratt said. She explained that marriage carries a lot of expectations, and they preferred to focus on their relationship first. “There’s a lot of pressure that comes with that piece of paper. Why not work on your relationship before jumping into that pressure?” she added.

Pratt also mentioned Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as an example of a successful, long-term relationship without marriage. “Even if we wanna do some Kurt Russell-Goldie Hawn-type thing … They’ve never been married, still together, got all these kids, and still strong,” she said.

In an August 2022 interview on Buzy Baker’s Ended Up At Bakers podcast, Kirkpatrick discussed how their choice not to marry had become a form of defiance. “You ain’t gonna tell me when, and she’s got that attitude too,” he said. “Y’all ain’t gonna tell me when. I’m not no kid, I’m grown.” He also spoke about how growing up in the public eye has led some to still view Pratt as a child.

In an August 2024 interview with E! News, Pratt and Kirkpatrick addressed rumors of their engagement, clarifying that they hadn’t taken that step yet. “We showed up at the BET Awards, and people were like, ‘Congratulations on your engagement,’ ” Pratt said. “We were like, ‘What are you talking about?’ We just said thank you.”

They parent three children

Danny Kirkpatrick smiles with his son and two daughters.Danny Kirkpatrick/ Instagram

Kirkpatrick and Pratt’s daughter Lyric was born in November 2010, and their younger daughter Liyah followed in August 2013.

Pratt has often highlighted Kirkpatrick’s role as a loving father. In 2022, she shared a touching Instagram post featuring him with their daughters, writing, “This MAN. There isn’t a day that goes by that my kids don’t feel love from their father. Thank you for being the man you are in every way. You are appreciated.”

Kirkpatrick has also spoken about the strong bond he shares with Pratt and their kids. In a 2015 interview with This Is 50, he reflected on their relationship, saying, “I’ll always love her, we’ll always be in love. She gave me two beautiful daughters.”

In addition to their daughters, Kirkpatrick has a son from a previous relationship. Pratt has embraced her role as a stepmother, referring to him as her “bonus baby” during a 2023 appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Pratt and Kirkpatrick’s daughters also seem to be following in their parents’ artistic footsteps. During a January 2023 interview with PIX11 News, Pratt shared that both Lyric and Liyah are showing an interest in acting. “They’re characters,” she said. “Their parents are both artists in every single way, so there’s no way around it.”

Pratt described her and Kirkpatrick’s parenting style as a mix of “gangsta and gentle,” to E! News in 2024, She also praised her boyfriend’s ability to balance the two, saying, “It has to be the perfect combination, which he has adapted very well, and it’s the sexiest thing on the planet.”

She supported him in opening his own tattoo shop

Kyla Pratt and Danny Kirkpatrick attend the BET AWARDS ’14 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on June 29, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.Earl Gibson III/Getty

Kirkpatrick rose to prominence as a tattoo artist in Compton catching the attention of VH1, which tapped him to launch a West Coast franchise of the popular series Black Ink Crew, according to LA Weekly. The spinoff, Black Ink Crew: Los Angeles, premiered in August 2019, with Kirkpatrick leading the cast.

On journalist Jemele Hill’s podcast, Jemele Hill Is Unbothered, Pratt expressed her support for his decision to join the franchise. “Him being a tattoo artist, and him being a musician, I thought it was a great way to show his art,” she said. “He’s handling it well, and I’m going to continue to support whatever it is he wants to do.”

By the finale of Black Ink Crew: Los Angeles’ first season, Kirkpatrick secured a venue for what he proudly called “Compton’s first tattoo shop.” Reflecting on the milestone, he credited Pratt for her unwavering encouragement. “I love that Kyla is here right now. Her support through this journey is everything. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know that I would’ve been able to manage the shop,” he said on the show.

Both Pratt and Kirkpatrick have been passionate about making the shop a cornerstone of the community. During season 1, Pratt shared her hopes for their venture: “I do want our kids to see their dad doing something positive. It’s good for them to see that no matter what the struggle is, nobody’s going to stop us from doing something good for the community.”

With the shop gaining traction, Kirkpatrick said he was excited to balance work and family demands. “Now that we’ve got some good momentum going, I’m looking forward to spending more time with her and the girls. They’re my world, and she’s my queen,” he said.

He’s also a musician

Danny Kirkpatrick attends the Cannapolis 420 Party Hosted By Mars on April 20, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.Jerritt Clark/Getty

Kirkpatrick released his debut album, New Comp City, in 2015 under the stage name iAmCompton. In a 2019 interview with Cannon, he explained that his moniker stands for “ink art music Compton,” a tribute to his creative passions — tattooing, art and music — and his hometown.

Kirkpatrick also shared how music has always been an emotional outlet for him. “I’ve been doing music since 2005,” he said. “I’ve always been a writer. Once I tapped into that, I was heavy into writing songs—it was like my therapy.”

However, his path to music wasn’t straightforward. Kirkpatrick revealed that his initial efforts to pursue a music career were delayed by his parole. “My PO [parole officer] was like, ‘Nah, not until you show proof of income, you can’t do music, rap, or nothing,’ ” he explained. “After that, I had to pick up a tattoo gun.” This detour into tattooing became the foundation of Kirkpatrick’s career, but it didn’t diminish his passion for music.

Over the years, he has balanced both worlds. In 2016, Kirkpatrick released the track “I Do What I Want,” a collaboration with the late Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan. Most recently, in 2024, he dropped his single “Lift Off.”