Jo Marie Payton Husband: Who Is She Married To? (2026)
Jo Marie Payton is married to her fourth husband, Leonard Downs. The Family Matters actress married Downs on December 16, 2007, and the two have been together since.
Who Is Leonard Downs?
Leonard Downs is Jo Marie Payton's fourth husband. Few public details about Downs are widely reported beyond the marriage itself: the couple tied the knot on December 16, 2007. Payton has kept this marriage largely out of the press compared with her earlier, more public unions.
Before Downs, Payton's marriages were:
- Marc France — married from 1980 to 1987 (divorced)
- Rodney Noble — married April 17, 1993; divorced in 1998
- Landrus Clark (a writer) — married June 17, 1998; ended around 2004 (divorced)
Her hyphenated stage names over the years — Jo Marie Payton-France and Jo Marie Payton-Noble — reflect her first two marriages.
Marriage Timeline
Born August 3, 1950, in Albany, Georgia, Payton moved to Opa-locka, Florida, in her teens and graduated from Miami Carol City Senior High School in 1968 before graduating from Albany State University. Her first marriage, to Marc France, began in 1980 and ended in divorce in 1987.
She then married Rodney Noble on April 17, 1993, divorcing him in 1998. Later that same year, on June 17, 1998, she married writer Landrus Clark; that marriage ended around 2004. In December 2007, she married her fourth and current husband, Leonard Downs.
Children
Jo Marie Payton has one child: a daughter, Chantale France, born in 1984 during her first marriage to Marc France. Payton is also a grandmother — her daughter Chantale gave birth to a daughter of her own.
Career Highlights
Payton is best known for playing Harriette Baines Winslow on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters (1989–1997), a role she originated on the show's forerunner series Perfect Strangers (1987–1989). Earlier in her career she toured with the national company of the musical Purlie and appeared on series including The New Odd Couple and Silver Spoons.
From 2001 to 2005, she voiced Suga Mama Proud (Penny Proud's paternal grandmother) on Disney Channel's animated series The Proud Family, reprising the role in The Proud Family Movie (2005) and Disney+'s revival The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. The role earned her NAACP Image Award nominations in 2003, 2005, and 2006.
She also had a recurring role during season two of Will & Grace (1999–2000) as the personal assistant to Gregory Hines' character. In 1999 she released a jazz music album, Southern Shadows. In 1990 she received the Alice Award from the National Commission on Working Women for her representation of a working woman on Family Matters, and in 1995 she was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities from Vincennes University.
FAQ
Who is Jo Marie Payton's husband?
Her current and fourth husband is Leonard Downs, whom she married on December 16, 2007.
How many times has Jo Marie Payton been married?
Four times: to Marc France (1980–1987), Rodney Noble (1993–1998), Landrus Clark (1998–2004), and Leonard Downs (2007–present).
Does Jo Marie Payton have children?
Yes — one daughter, Chantale France, born in 1984. Payton is also a grandmother.
What is Jo Marie Payton known for?
Playing Harriette Winslow on Family Matters and voicing Suga Mama on The Proud Family.
What was Jo Marie Payton's real name at birth?
She was born JoMarie Payton on August 3, 1950, in Albany, Georgia.