Singer Ciara was spotted at the US Open in New York City this week, accompanied by her two eldest children, Future and Sienna. A social media post by her husband, NFL star Russell Wilson, celebrating the family outing soon sparked a debate online.
On Thursday, Wilson reposted a Vogue Instagram story featuring his family at a tennis match, adding the caption, “Mrs. @ciara Wilson, Future Wilson, and Sienna Wilson.” The reference to his stepson as “Future Wilson” drew mixed reactions from the public.
The post fueled speculation that Ciara had legally changed her son’s surname from Wilburn—the last name of his biological father, rapper Nayvadius “Future” Wilburn—to Wilson. Some social media users criticized the caption, with one writing, “Russ calling him ‘Future Wilson’ was petty… If you’re present in a child’s life, you don’t have [to] compete.” Others defended the family, sparking a wider conversation.
However, reports have since clarified that Ciara amended her son’s name years ago not by replacing his original surname, but by adding Wilson to it. According to TMZ, his legal name is Future Zahir Wilburn Wilson. This arrangement allows the child to share a last name with his mother, stepfather, and siblings while maintaining the name of his biological father.
The discussion aligns with previous statements from Wilson about his role as a stepfather. During a February 2024 appearance on the I AM ATHLETE podcast, the quarterback spoke about embracing the responsibility of raising Future Jr. after falling in love with Ciara.
“Stepping in to raise a child with [Ciara] and realizing that, ‘Okay God, I know she’s the one for me.’ But also too, I’m gonna take this responsibility as well,” Wilson said. “What a gift. That’s been the greatest gift… God gave me that opportunity to raise them and to love them and to care for them… And there’s no difference.”
