Solange Knowles’ Ex Husband Explained: Daniel Smith, Alan Ferguson, and Their Timeline
If you’re searching for Solange Knowles ex husband, you’re usually trying to untangle two different chapters of her love life. Solange has been married twice: first to Daniel Smith when she was a teenager, and later to music video director Alan Ferguson. Here’s what’s known publicly about both marriages, how they fit into her life and career, and why the timelines can get confusing online.
Quick Facts
- Solange’s first marriage was to Daniel Smith; they share one son together.
- Solange later married Alan Ferguson in 2014 and announced their separation in 2019.
- She does not have children with Alan Ferguson.
Solange Knowles and Her First Husband, Daniel Smith
Solange’s first ex-husband is Daniel Smith, a relationship that began long before the public really knew her as the artist behind A Seat at the Table and When I Get Home. Their marriage stands out because it happened early—so early that it became part of Solange’s public narrative for years: a talented teenager trying to balance adulthood responsibilities while growing up under the brightest possible spotlight.
Public reporting from that time period described Solange marrying Daniel Smith in February 2004 and welcoming their son later that year.
That timeline matters because it explains why her first marriage is often discussed with a particular tone: not as celebrity gossip, but as a young-person chapter that shaped her adulthood fast. Being married and raising a child while still building an identity and career is intense for anyone. When your family is already world-famous, the pressure can feel like it has nowhere to go.
Their Son: Daniel “Julez” Smith Jr.
One of the clearest anchors in the Daniel Smith chapter is their child. Solange and Daniel Smith share a son, Daniel “Julez” Smith Jr.
Over the years, Solange has been known for keeping the most private parts of her personal life from becoming constant content, and that approach extends to motherhood. Julez has appeared publicly at major moments, but the overall vibe has never been “here is my kid for the internet.” It’s more like: he exists, he’s loved, and he’s protected.
If you’ve noticed people using different versions of his name online, that’s common with celebrity children. “Julez” is widely used as the familiar name, while Daniel Julez Smith Jr. appears in more formal references.
When Did Solange and Daniel Smith Divorce?
Most mainstream summaries of Solange’s early relationship describe the marriage as ending a few years after it began, with divorce commonly reported in 2007.
Online sources sometimes disagree on the exact separation month or the precise legal finalization date. That’s typical for older celebrity timelines, especially when the people involved weren’t making formal press announcements at every step. What stays consistent across coverage is the larger arc: early marriage, early motherhood, then divorce not long after.
What People Often Get Wrong About the Daniel Smith Era
Because Solange became even more publicly visible later—especially as her music and artistic direction took a sharper, more distinctive shape—many people assume her first marriage overlapped with her later “art-world” phase. It didn’t. The Daniel Smith chapter is tied to the earliest stage of her adulthood, when she was still forming the identity most people recognize today.
Another common mix-up is assuming Daniel Smith stayed a constant public figure. He didn’t. Whatever their private relationship looks like now as co-parents, Daniel Smith is not a high-profile celebrity in the way Solange is, and that’s why verified information about him can be thinner than people expect.
Solange Knowles and Her Second Husband, Alan Ferguson
Solange’s second ex-husband is Alan Ferguson, a music video director and creative who was often described as matching her artistic energy. If her first marriage is remembered for how young she was, her marriage to Ferguson is remembered for how intentional it looked: a more mature chapter, deeply tied to style, creativity, and a shared aesthetic.
Multiple major outlets reported that Solange and Alan Ferguson married in New Orleans on November 16, 2014.
The public fascination with this marriage wasn’t just “celebrity wedding” interest. It was also because the pairing made sense to people who followed Solange’s work. Her artistry is built on mood, visual identity, sound design, and cultural specificity. Ferguson, as a director, lives in a world where visual storytelling is the point. So the relationship was often perceived as a creative alignment as much as a romantic one.
Separation: What Solange Publicly Confirmed
In November 2019, Solange confirmed that she and Ferguson had separated earlier that year. She shared the news in a personal statement, and major entertainment outlets reported on it at the time.
Her tone in that announcement mattered. She didn’t present it as a messy scandal or a dramatic fallout. It came across more like a boundary: this is my life, this is my truth, and I’m saying only what I choose to say.
That’s also why some readers keep searching for a “reason” and come up empty. In many celebrity breakups, there’s a loud narrative—accusations, counter-accusations, constant sources talking. Here, the public information is limited because Solange limited it.
Did Solange Have Kids With Alan Ferguson?
No. Public reporting around their separation noted that Solange and Alan Ferguson did not have children together.
This detail matters because it often gets tangled in online conversation. When people hear “second husband,” they sometimes assume there’s a second set of children. Solange’s family structure is simpler than rumor makes it: one son from her first marriage, and no children with her second husband.
Why “Solange Knowles Ex Husband” Can Mean Two Different People
Most of the confusion comes from the keyword itself. When someone types “Solange Knowles ex husband,” they might be talking about Daniel Smith, because that marriage is tied to her son and her early adulthood. Or they might mean Alan Ferguson, because that marriage is the one most people remember from her later, more widely covered era.
A quick way to keep it straight is to link each relationship to its defining context. Daniel Smith is the teenage marriage and co-parenting chapter. Alan Ferguson is the 2014 wedding and 2019 separation chapter. The names aren’t interchangeable, and the public information available about each man is different because the eras—and the media attention—were different.
How Solange Has Handled Public Relationships Over Time
Solange’s relationship history also reflects how she manages fame. She’s not known for turning her love life into a storyline. Even when her marriage to Ferguson was celebrated publicly, she still kept the inner workings private. And when the relationship ended, the public got a confirmation—not a documentary.
That approach fits the larger Solange brand: intentional, curated, and protective. She shows you what she chooses, and the rest stays hers.