If you searched for Jermelle Simon because you know him as Bernard Upshaw from The Upshaws, you may have noticed that information about his personal life is surprisingly inconsistent. Some pages still describe him as having a wife, while newer reports say he is married to Obio Jones. Others use the phrase “ex-wife” without providing reliable evidence that Simon was ever married to a woman.
That confusion largely comes from how quickly Simon’s public life changed in recent years. His career moved from theater and small screen appearances to a major Netflix sitcom, while his personal story also became more public. In 2024, Simon publicly came out as gay, and in 2025 he became engaged to content creator Obio Jones. The couple subsequently revealed that they had married privately on October 1, 2025.
This guide separates confirmed information from speculation, explains who Jermelle Simon’s husband is, examines his reported previous relationship and children, and breaks down the movies and TV shows that have shaped his acting career.
Who is Jermelle Simon?
Jermelle Simon is an American actor and producer best known for playing Bernard Upshaw Jr., or Bernard, on Netflix’s The Upshaws.
Simon was born on April 17, 1989, in Florence, South Carolina. According to his published biography, he grew up as the son of a shipyard worker and a nurse and eventually moved to California to pursue acting. His early career included theater work before he began appearing in television and independent film projects.
His background in theater is worth noting because it helps explain why his performance in The Upshaws feels more layered than a simple sitcom role. Before becoming recognizable to a much larger audience, Simon had worked on stage in productions including Silence, Livin Aint Easy, Dying Aint Beautiful and Walking By Faith.
His breakthrough came with The Upshaws, where he plays the oldest child in the Upshaw family.
Is Jermelle Simon married?
Yes. Jermelle Simon is married to Obio Jones.
The couple became engaged in April 2025 after Jones proposed at their new home. Their engagement was publicly discussed in May 2025, when the couple explained that their relationship had grown from an online connection into a friendship and then a romantic relationship.
Several months later, Simon and Jones revealed that they had quietly married on October 1, 2025.
Rather than holding a large public ceremony, Simon described the occasion as an intimate marriage involving just the two of them. The announcement used the wording “No aisle. No audience. Just us, husbands,” confirming that the two were officially married.
That detail is important when reading older articles about Simon’s relationship status. Some older biography pages have not been updated and can give the impression that he is still engaged or that his marital history is different from what more recent reporting establishes.
Who is Jermelle Simon’s husband, Obio Jones?
Obio Jones is a content creator and media personality who became known for sharing aspects of his life online.
Simon and Jones reportedly first connected through social media. Jones had watched The Upshaws and sent Simon a message complimenting his performance. What began as a friendly exchange eventually developed into a friendship and then a romantic relationship.
One of the more interesting aspects of their story is that neither man initially treated the connection as an instant romance. They developed a friendship first and later decided to explore whether that friendship could become something more.
That progression also helps explain why their engagement story attracted attention. Jones proposed at the couple’s new home on April 25, 2025, involving Simon’s three children in the surprise.
Each child gave Simon a personal note before Jones proposed with a Cartier ring. Simon said the proposal genuinely surprised him because everyone involved had managed to keep the plan secret.
Does Jermelle Simon have an ex-wife?
This is where online searches become misleading.
There is no reliable evidence in the stronger publicly available sources that establishes Jermelle Simon had an ex-wife.
What reputable reporting does establish is that Simon has three children from a previous relationship. People, Essence and other outlets discussing his engagement to Jones consistently describe the children as being from a previous relationship. They do not establish that this former partner was his wife.
That distinction matters.
A previous relationship and a previous marriage are not the same thing. A biography site can repeat an unsupported claim about an “ex-wife,” and that claim can then appear across search results until it looks like established fact.
For that reason, it is more accurate to say:
- Simon has three children from a previous relationship.
- He later began a relationship with Obio Jones.
- Simon and Jones became engaged in 2025.
- They married privately on October 1, 2025.
- Publicly available reliable reporting does not establish the identity of an ex-wife.
Why do people search for “Jermelle Simon ex-wife”?
Part of the confusion appears to come from Simon’s earlier family life and from outdated biographical information.
Before publicly discussing his relationship with Jones, Simon had children from a previous relationship. Because the details of that relationship were not extensively publicized, online biographies sometimes filled the gap with assumptions.
A useful rule when researching celebrity relationships is to distinguish between “previous partner,” “baby mother,” “ex-partner,” and “ex-wife.” Those terms carry different meanings, and one should not automatically be substituted for another.
Jermelle Simon’s children
Simon is a father of three children.
Their involvement in his engagement to Jones became one of the most personal details of the couple’s story. Jones deliberately included the children in his proposal, having them give Simon notes expressing their love and describing what family meant to them.
This is more than a romantic anecdote because it provides a glimpse into how Simon’s family life intersects with his current relationship.
Rather than treating his children as separate from his new marriage, Jones incorporated them into the proposal itself. Simon has also emphasized the importance of family in discussing his relationship.
At the same time, relatively little verified information about the children is publicly available. That is a good reason to avoid repeating names, ages, schools or other personal details unless Simon or another reliable source has deliberately made them public.
Jermelle Simon came out publicly in 2024
Another major development in Simon’s personal story happened in October 2024.
On National Coming Out Day, Simon publicly shared that he had decided to embrace himself fully and love himself unconditionally. His announcement received considerable attention because viewers already knew him for playing Bernard, an openly gay character on The Upshaws.
The timing created an interesting distinction between actor and character.
Bernard’s sexuality had already been part of The Upshaws storyline. Netflix’s Tudum described Bernard as the eldest Upshaw sibling, a UPS driver and a proud gay man.
But playing a gay character and publicly identifying as gay are obviously different experiences. Simon’s own announcement made that distinction especially meaningful for viewers who had followed his work.
Jermelle Simon movies and TV shows
Simon has a relatively compact screen filmography compared with actors who have been working in Hollywood for decades. However, his credits show a clear progression from smaller appearances and independent projects toward a major recurring television role.
The Upshaws
The Upshaws is unquestionably Simon’s signature project.
He plays Bernard Upshaw Jr., the oldest child of Bennie and Regina Upshaw. Bernard works for UPS and is portrayed as intelligent, independent and sometimes skeptical of his father’s decisions.
The Netflix sitcom premiered in 2021 and eventually ran for five seasons, with the final season concluding in January 2026. Simon appeared in 55 episodes according to his current professional credit listing.
The role gave Simon something his earlier credits had not: enough screen time to develop a character over multiple seasons.
That matters from an acting perspective. A short film or one-episode television appearance can demonstrate range, but a long-running sitcom tests consistency. Simon had to maintain Bernard’s personality, relationships and comedic timing across years of production.
Animal Kingdom
Before The Upshaws, Simon appeared in the crime drama Animal Kingdom as Rico.
His role was small, with one credited episode in 2017. IMDb identifies the episode as “Dig,” from Season 2.
Although the role was brief, Animal Kingdom is notable in Simon’s filmography because it placed him in a very different dramatic environment from the family comedy that would later make him famous.
A Rodeo Film
Simon played Averill in the 2019 short film A Rodeo Film. The project remains one of the screen credits commonly associated with his pre-Upshaws career.
Sojourn
Simon also appeared in the 2018 short Sojourn, playing the title role.
Aged Out
Another early credit is Aged Out, a 2018 short film in which Simon played Sam. He is also credited as an executive producer on the project, showing that his interests have not been limited to acting in front of the camera.
7 Minutes of Heaven
In 2023, Simon appeared in the short film 7 Minutes of Heaven as Domonique.
Earlier television appearances
His earlier television credits include appearances in Tattoo Nightmares, Cocktails and Dreams and Why We Pray. His credit databases also record an appearance as himself at the 46th Annual NAACP Image Awards.
Taken together, these credits show that Simon’s career did not begin with Netflix. He spent years building experience through theater, short films and smaller television roles before landing the part that substantially raised his profile.
What makes Bernard Upshaw such an important role for Simon?
It would be easy to describe Bernard as simply “the gay son” on The Upshaws, but that misses much of what makes the character work.
Bernard is also:
- The oldest Upshaw sibling.
- A son navigating a complicated relationship with his father.
- A working adult with his own ambitions.
- Part of a large, sometimes chaotic family.
- A character whose sexuality is only one part of his identity.
That last point is especially important.
The show does not require Bernard’s entire personality to revolve around his sexuality. His family disagreements, work life, romantic experiences and relationship with his father give him dimensions beyond a single identity label.
For Simon, that creates a much richer acting opportunity than a stereotypical sitcom role.
A lesser-known part of Jermelle Simon’s career
One of the most overlooked parts of Simon’s career is his theater background.
Before becoming a recognizable television actor, he worked in stage productions under director Don B Welch. His published biography credits him with roles in Silence, Livin Aint Easy, Dying Aint Beautiful and Walking By Faith.
This background provides useful context when watching his later work.
Television comedy often looks effortless, but sitcom acting requires precise timing, listening and the ability to respond naturally to other performers. A foundation in live theater can be particularly valuable because actors learn to sustain character and react in real time rather than relying entirely on editing.
Another interesting point is that Simon has also received producer credits, including work connected to Aged Out.
So his career is better understood as an actor who has also explored the production side of storytelling, rather than simply a performer who appeared out of nowhere on Netflix.
Jermelle Simon’s career timeline
A simplified timeline helps put his career and personal milestones into perspective:
Early career:
Simon develops his acting skills through theater and moves toward professional screen work.
2011–2013:
He begins accumulating early television credits, including Why We Pray and Tattoo Nightmares.
2016–2019:
He appears in projects including Animal Kingdom, Sojourn, Aged Out and A Rodeo Film.
2021:
The Upshaws premieres, introducing Simon to a much wider audience as Bernard Upshaw.
2023:
He appears in 7 Minutes of Heaven.
October 2024:
Simon publicly comes out as gay.
April 2025:
Obio Jones proposes to Simon at their home, involving Simon’s three children.
October 1, 2025:
Simon and Jones privately marry.
January 2026:
The final season of The Upshaws concludes, ending Simon’s five-season run as Bernard.
Common mistakes when researching Jermelle Simon
If you are trying to establish accurate information about Simon, several mistakes are particularly easy to make.
Mistake 1: Calling Obio Jones his fiancé
That was accurate in 2025 before their marriage. It is outdated now.
Simon and Jones publicly confirmed that they married on October 1, 2025.
Mistake 2: Assuming he has an ex-wife
The available reliable reporting says Simon has three children from a previous relationship. It does not establish that the former partner was his wife.
Therefore, “ex-partner” or “previous relationship” is safer and more accurate than “ex-wife.”
Mistake 3: Thinking The Upshaws was his first acting experience
It was his first major role, according to Netflix, but not his first acting job. His theater and earlier television and independent-film work preceded it.
Mistake 4: Confusing Bernard with Simon
Bernard Upshaw is a fictional character. Information about Bernard’s relationships and family should not automatically be treated as information about Simon’s private life.
That distinction is particularly important when researching an actor whose personal identity has become part of the public conversation.
FAQ about Jermelle Simon
Who is Jermelle Simon married to?
Jermelle Simon is married to content creator and media personality Obio Jones. The couple became engaged in April 2025 and later revealed that they married privately on October 1, 2025.
Does Jermelle Simon have an ex-wife?
There is no well-supported public evidence establishing that Jermelle Simon was previously married to a woman. Reliable coverage describes him as having three children from a previous relationship, but does not identify that former partner as an ex-wife.
How many children does Jermelle Simon have?
Jermelle Simon has three children from a previous relationship. His children were involved in Obio Jones’ 2025 proposal, each giving Simon a personal note before Jones proposed.
What movies and TV shows has Jermelle Simon been in?
His credits include The Upshaws, Animal Kingdom, A Rodeo Film, Sojourn, Aged Out and 7 Minutes of Heaven, along with earlier television appearances such as Tattoo Nightmares and Why We Pray.
Who does Jermelle Simon play in The Upshaws?
Simon plays Bernard Upshaw Jr., the oldest child of Bennie and Regina Upshaw. Bernard works as a UPS driver and is an openly gay character whose story develops across the show’s five-season run.
When did Jermelle Simon and Obio Jones get married?
Simon and Jones married on October 1, 2025. They chose a private ceremony rather than a large public wedding and announced their marriage afterward.
Conclusion
Jermelle Simon’s story is more interesting when his career and personal life are viewed together rather than through isolated search terms.
He built his acting foundation through theater and smaller screen roles before landing his breakthrough as Bernard Upshaw on The Upshaws. The five-season sitcom gave him the opportunity to develop a character over several years and introduced him to a much broader audience.
His personal life has also entered a new chapter. Simon publicly came out in 2024, became engaged to Obio Jones in 2025, and married Jones privately on October 1 of that year. He is also a father of three children from a previous relationship.
The biggest takeaway for anyone researching “Jermelle Simon wife” or “Jermelle Simon ex-wife” is simple: his husband is Obio Jones, while claims about an ex-wife are not supported by the strongest available public reporting.
That distinction may seem small, but it is exactly the kind of detail that separates a reliable biography from an article that merely repeats information found elsewhere.
