Tyler Perry's Madea franchise is anchored by a complex and sometimes outlandish family tree, with a new relative introduced in every project. After the story began with 2005's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, where fans were introduced to Madea (aka Mabel Earlene Simmons), this cinematic universe produced an intricate web of relatives, siblings, cousins, and in-laws that made storylines interesting and complicated.
Netflix revisited the franchise with a brand-new movie, Madea's Destination Wedding, which brought back many of the titular character's relatives (despite some key absences) while introducing fans to some exciting members of the family tree.
Directed and written by Tyler Perry, Madea's Destination Wedding revolves around the revelation that Madea's grand niece, Tiffany, is getting married to Zavier, whom she met only weeks ago. The family has to navigate keeping everything together while heading to the Bahamas for Tiffany's dream wedding. Madea's Destination Wedding is a family comedy that premiered on Netflix on July 11, 2025.
Madea's Family Tree Explained - Every Main Relative
Frederick Baker
Frederick Baker is the late patriarch of the family and the father of Madea and Joe Simmons. Although he hasn't appeared in the Madea cinematic universe, his character is often mentioned in passing during conversations within the family.
Big Mabel Murphy
Big Mabel Murphy is the mother of Madea Simmons and the wife of the late Frederick Baker Sr. She previously worked as a prostitute and was known to be reckless and dangerous (some believed that Madea was able to adapt some of her temper and carefree attitude from her mother).
Heathrow Simmons
Heathrow Murphy is Madea's brother, and he made his debut in 2019's A Madea Family Funeral. As one of the Simmons siblings, Heathrow is known for his sharp tongue and gruff demeanor (which sometimes caused chaos within the family).
Frederick Baker Jr.
Frederick Baker Jr. is the son of Frederick Baker Sr. and Big Mabel Murphy. He is also the brother of Madea, Heathrow, Irene Andrews, and Willie Humphrey. Unlike Madea, Frederick Baker Jr. is a minor family member who doesn't want the spotlight.
Johnny Simmons
Johnny Simmons is Madea's first husband and the father of Michelle Simmons and William Simmons. While Johnny did not play a prominent role in the movies, he is crucial to the family tree because Madea chose to retain his last name through her subsequent eight marriages.
Madea Simmons
Madea Simmons is at the center of Tyler Perry's cinematic universe. Madea, whose real name is Mabel Earlene Simmons, is a street-smart matriarch previously linked to reckless crimes.
She is the glue that keeps the family together and is not afraid to have an honest (and sometimes brutal) conversation with them when they are in a bind. The character is portrayed on-screen by Tyler Perry (who also launched a new movie on Netflix, STRAW).
Bam Murphy
Bam Murphy is Madea's first cousin, known for her bold and comedic personality. She plays a crucial role, often serving as Madea's sidekick, supporting her with her wacky antics and crazy decisions. Like Madea, she has a deep devotion to her family and will choose them no matter what.
Willie Humphrey
Willie Humphrey is Madea's brother, who stirred controversy when it was revealed that he briefly married Madea (yes, his sister) at some point. It's worth noting that the franchise didn't delve into the specifics of their marriage, and it seemed that it was only used to reference the chaotic nature of the Simmons family tree.
Barbara Needleman
As the opinionated matriarch of the Needleman family, Barbara often clashes with Madea when fans first met the character in 2012's Madea's Witness Protection. In a shocking twist, it was revealed that Barbara had a past fling with Joe Simmons (Madea's brother), leading to the birth of their son, George.
This revelation meant that the Needleman family is intertwined in Madea's complex one.
Joe Simmons
Joe Simmons (Madea's younger brother) is known for his carefree attitude and crude humor, sometimes angering family members. He also has a dark past tied to marijuana use (which is often used as a joke during conversations). Still, he is a fan-favorite character in the Madea cinematic universe, and his banter with his sister often takes the spotlight in various movies.
Irene Andrews
Irene Andrews, Madea's dead sister, has a hidden rivalry with Madea. It turns out that Madea didn't like her sibling because she slept with one of her husbands and still owed her $20. Despite their animosity, Madea chose to take care of Vanessa, her grand-niece from Irene, and her two children during Madea's Family Reunion.
Anthony Thompson
Anthony Thompson is the deceased husband of Vianne (Madea's niece) and the father of AJ, Sylvia, and Jessie. His death is one of the storylines explored in A Madea Family Funeral after he died while meeting with his mistress in a hotel room.
Vianne Thompson
Vianne Thompson is Madea's niece and the daughter of Heathrow Simmons. She played a prominent role in A Madea Family Funeral after her husband died, showcasing strong resilience amid the tragedy and the lies she learned after his death.
Michelle Simmons
The late Michelle Simmons (As Madea's eldest daughter) died due to drug addiction. She is the mother of Vianne and Maylee Griffin, and her absence (after her death) left them longing for a mother's love.
Cora Simmons
Cora Simmons is another of Madea's daughters. She was born after a one-night stand when Madea was 18 years old. Cora is a fan-favorite character in the Madea cinematic universe due to her prominence as the family's moral compass. The identity of Cora's father remains a mystery.
William Simmons
William Simmons is Madea and Johnny's son, Michelle's brother, and Cora's half-brother. He is also the father of Helen Simmons-McCarter. However, he is not as prominent as the other Madea children in the expansive universe.
Myrtle Simmons
Myrtle Simmons is William's wife, Madea's daughter-in-law, and Helen Simmons-McCarter's mother. For context, Helen is at the center of 2005's Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
George Needleman
George Needleman (portrayed by American Pie alum Eugene Levy) is a mild-mannered Wall Street guy later revealed to be Madea's nephew because he is actually Joe Simmons' son (this was all chronicled in 2012's Madea's Witness Protection).
Kate Needleman
Kate Needleman, George's second wife, becomes entangled with Madea's family drama after they were involved in a witness protection program during the 2012 movie.
Brian Simmons
Brian Simmons is Madea's nephew and Joe Simmons' son, a central figure in 2025's Madea's Destination Wedding. He is an attorney often responsible for helping Madea with her legal troubles.
In the 2025 movie, Brian is shocked to learn that his daughter, Tiffany, will marry a guy she barely knows.
Donna Simmons
Donna Simmons is Madea's niece and Joe Simmons' daughter (she doesn't have a major on-screen presence).
Sonny Andrews
Sonny Andrews is Madea's nephew and the son of the late Irene Andrews. The character only appeared in the stage play, Madea Goes to Jail, where he was portrayed by Christian Keyes.
Victoria Breaux
Victoria Breaux is the eldest daughter of Irene Andrews and Madea's niece. Due to her greed and gold-digging personality, she is deemed an antagonist in the Madea cinematic universe.
Jesse Thompson
Jesse Thompson (who appeared in A Madea Family Funeral) is Madea's grand-nephew and the son of Vinnie and Anthony Thompson.
AJ Thompson
Another one of Madea's grand-nephews is AJ Thompson. He is the eldest son of Vinnie and Anthony Thompson and the brother of Jesse and Sylvia Thompson. AJ contributes to the chaos due to his infidelity, which was exposed in A Madea Family Funeral.
Carol Thompson
Carol Thompson is AJ's wife, who is unaware of her husband's cheating shenanigans.
Sylvia Thompson
Sylvia Thompson is Madea's grand-niece, the daughter of Vinnie and Anthony Thompson, and sister of Jesse and AJ Thompson. She is a compassionate family member who tries to keep her siblings together after their father's death.
Vianne Green
Vianne Green (Madea's granddaughter) is the daughter of Michelle Simmons (Madea's deceased daughter). She is also a mother to three children (Keisha, Kelly, and Byron) and finds solace in Madea after keeping her safe from her abusive husband.
Maylee Green
Maylee Green is Vianne's sister, Madea's granddaughter, and another daughter of Michelle Simmons.
Laura Simmons
Laura Simmons is the mother of Tim (Madea's great-grandson), but her place in the family tree has been left ambiguous. Many have theorized that she is Madea's granddaughter (this has yet to be confirmed).
Robin Simmons
Robin Simmons is Cora Simmons' daughter, meaning that she is Madea's granddaughter.
Tiny Simmons
Tiny Simmons is also Cora Simmons' daughter and a minor character in the Madea cinematic universe.
Darlene Simmons
Darlene Simmons, a barely mentioned character in the Madea family tree, is Cora Simmons' daughter and sister to Robin and Tiny.
Lisa Simmons
Making a prominent appearance in Madea's Family Reunion is Lisa Simmons, Cora's daughter, who endured an abusive relationship with her boyfriend.
Ellie Simmons
Ellie Simmons joins the long list of Cora's daughters in the Madea cinematic universe. In the 2011 movie Madea's Big Happy Family, Ellie has a dilemma after it is proven that Leroy Brown is not her father after all.
Gina Simmons
Gina Simmons (William Simmons' daughter) is Madea's granddaughter. She has a limited presence in the on-screen universe of the Madea family stories.
Helen McCarter-Simmons
Helen McCarter-Simmons is William's daughter, Gina's sister, and Madea's granddaughter. She is portrayed as a resilient woman and the main protagonist in 2005's Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
Jackie Simmons
Another of William's daughters is Jackie Simmons (also Helen and Gina's sister). She has yet to appear on screen in any Madea-related movies or plays.
Howie Needleman
Howie Needleman is George and Kate Needleman's youngest (and neglected) son and Cindy's half-brother.
Cindy Needleman
Cindy Needleman is the teenage daughter of George and Kate and Howie's half-sister. In the Madea cinematic universe, she is a typical rebellious teenager not close to her parents.
BJ Simmons
BJ Simmons is Madea's grandson, the son of Brian and Debrah Simmons, and Tiffany's younger brother.
Tiffany Simmons
At the center of Madea's Destination Wedding's story is Tiffany Simmons and her wedding to Zavier, which is why the family goes to the Bahamas. Tiffany is Brian and Debrah's eldest daughter and Madea's granddaughter.
Sonny Andrews Jr.
Sonny Andrews Jr. is the son of Sonny Andrews and Vanessa Andrews and a minor character in Madea Goes to Jail.
Lisa Breaux
Lisa Breaux (Madea's grand-niece and Victoria Breaux's daughter) is a central character in 2006's Madea's Family Reunion. Her story takes the spotlight due to her abusive engagement.
Vanessa Breaux
Vanessa Breaux is another of Victoria's daughters, Madea's grand-niece, and Lisa's half-sister. As a single mother, she dealt with criticisms from within her family (mostly from her mother), but she overcame them with Madea's comfort and guidance.
Tim
Tim is Madea's great-grandson and Laura Simmons' son. In 2022's A Madea Homecoming, Tim's college graduation was the catalyst for reuniting the family.
Shemar Simmons
Shemar Simmons is the infant daughter of Tina Simmons, first seen in 2002's Madea's Family Reunion.
Jonathan Breaux
Another minor character in Madea's Family Reunion is Jonathan Breaux, the son of Vanessa Breaux-Henderson and Madea's great-grandson.
Nima Breaux
Nima Breaux is Vanessa Breaux-Henderson's teenage daughter, Victoria's granddaughter, and Madea's great-granddaughter.
