Anderson Paak Parents: Inside the Abusive History and Incarcerations of Grammy Winner’s Mother and Father
Feb. 26, 2026 — Oxnard, Calif. Grammy-winning musician Anderson .Paak recently recalled witnessing his father, Ronald Anderson, brutally assault his mother, Brenda Paak Bills, in 1993 when he was 7 years old, an incident that resulted in Ronald’s conviction for attempted murder, robbery, and kidnapping, leading to a 14-year prison sentence.
The attack, detailed in an Andscape profile, occurred in their driveway, with blood in the street as Anderson .Paak and his sister watched. Ronald, who struggled with crack cocaine addiction and alcoholism, had previously been convicted of spousal abuse earlier that year. He served about 6.5 years before release and died in 2011 from colon cancer.
Anderson Paak’s parents met at a nightclub in 1982 and married in 1985. Ronald, a Navy aircraft mechanic from North Philadelphia, and Brenda, born in Seoul in 1951 to a Black American soldier and Korean mother, blended families with multiple children from prior relationships.
Mother’s Korean Roots and Fraud Conviction
Brenda was abandoned at an orphanage during the Korean War era, adopted by a Black military couple from Compton, and renamed. She became a successful strawberry broker in California before her 2003 conviction for securities fraud, grand theft, and related charges involving her produce businesses. She pleaded guilty and served 7.5 years of a 15-year sentence, released in 2011. Her stepfather, Dennis Willingham, was also imprisoned for similar fraud.
In Drink Champs clips from August 2025, Anderson Paak noted both Anderson Paak parents and his stepfather were jailed simultaneously during his high school senior year, forcing family upheaval.
“My moms took care of all of us. And when that happened [her imprisonment] it was the domino effect. Everything went haywire.”
— Anderson .Paak, 2016 Rap Radar interview, via Andscape
Family Impact and Reconciliation
The incarcerations of Anderson Paak parents left him couch-surfing and working dead-end jobs while pursuing music. He reconnected with Ronald before his death, forgiving him after hearing voicemails of his father singing.
Brenda reflected on her crimes: “> I pleaded guilty because I was guilty … I could not misrepresent myself one more time. I was like a crack addict myself. Only my addiction was to money.”
A Bleu Mag article confirms the Anderson Paak parents’ names and Oxnard origins, while Wikipedia summarizes the early life trauma.
The blended family of nine siblings has since reunited, with gatherings like Thanksgiving. Anderson Paak’s accounts highlight resilience amid the Anderson Paak parents’ challenges.
