Deborah Joy Winans Shares Family Insights with Parents Carvin and Deborah Kerr Winans in Recent Podcasts
Feb. 24, 2026 — Detroit Actress and singer Deborah Joy Winans, daughter of gospel musicians Carvin Winans and Deborah Kerr Winans, recently discussed her family roots, faith challenges and her parents’ divorce in episodes of her “Choosing Joy” podcast released in September and November 2025.
The interviews highlight her Detroit upbringing and ties to the Winans gospel dynasty, with biographical sources confirming her parentage.
Podcast Discussions on Faith and Forgiveness
In a Sep. 13, 2025, YouTube episode, Winans interviewed her mother, Deborah Kerr Winans, about motherhood, raising four children in Detroit, Winans family values and resilience amid her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
“There’s an innate joy that God gives us. And then there are days where you still have to choose it.”
The description notes Deborah Kerr Winans sharing lessons on faith, family and gratitude.
A Nov. 29, 2025, iHeart episode featured Winans solo, recounting her parents’ divorce during her college years, feelings of abandonment by her father who started a new family, and the process of forgiveness.
“Forgiveness doesn’t always mean reconciliation. But it always means freedom.”
Confirmed Parentage and Siblings
Wikipedia states Winans was born in Detroit as the daughter of Carvin and Deborah Kerr Winans, part of the musical Winans family. Famous Birthdays lists siblings Juan, Ian and Carvin Jr.
The Winans family page details Carvin Winans, born March 5, 1958, with children including Deborah Joy, Carvin Jr., Juan, Ian, Shanniah and Laylah. IMDb confirms her as daughter of Carvin Winans, sister to Juan, Carvin Jr. and Ian, and niece to BeBe, CeCe and Marvin Winans.
Gospel Legacy in Career
In a 2019 UrbanFaith article, Winans described her “Greenleaf” role:
“I am the niece of the gospel singers BeBe and CeCe Winans and the daughter of Carvin Winans of the gospel group the Winans.”
“With my family, the Winans family, and the Greenleaf family… they all always go back to their foundation. They go back to the Word of God.”
A 2016 Atlanta Magazine piece covered her portraying aunt CeCe Winans in a musical:
“To have family makes it special… It’s just brought a whole element of making it very real.”
She also played CeCe in the 2015 film Whitney.
