Eian Burton (born 1980; Age: 44 years old) is an American teacher and basketball coach who is famous as the son of LeVar Burton, the award-winning actor and TV host. Eian’s biological mom, Chimera Smith and LeVar Burton had a short-lived affair in 1979, resulting in his birth the following year.
His mother, however, only informed his father of his existence by the time he was three, and the actor immediately took responsibility. He paid child support and also made sure to be physically present in his life. That positive fatherhood trait will continue throughout Eian Burton’s formative years, which impacted him positively.
He has become a special education teacher and coaches middle and grade school students in basketball. He is also quite close to his father as well as other members of his extended paternal family.
Summary of Eian Burton’s Biography
- Full name: Eian Ward Burton
- Gender: male
- Date of birth: 1980
- Eian Burton’s Age: 44 years old
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Nationality: American
- Marital Status: single
- Eian Burton’s Parents: LeVar Burton and Chimera P. Smith
- Siblings: Mica Burton (half-sister)
- Eian Burton’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 7
- Eian Burton’s Height in Centimetres: 170
- Eian Burton’s Weight: 72 kg
- Eian Burton’s Net worth: $1 million
- Famous for: LeVar Burton’s son
- Eian Burton’s Instagram: @eianwardburton
- Facebook: @eianwardburton
Eian Burton is The Son of Levar Burton, the Popular Actor, and Chimera P. Smith
Eian Burton is 44 years old as he was born in 1980. His nationality is American, while his ethnicity is African-American. Eian Ward Burton is the only son and eldest child of LeVar Burton, the award-winning actor who is also renowned for his work as a TV host and voice actor. On the other hand, Eian Burton’s mother is Chimera P. Smith.
Smith is a resident of Los Angeles and was born in the 1950s. She equally has American nationality and African-American ethnicity. A look at Eian Burton’s Facebook page will reveal that he refers to Leticia Darlene Burton as his mother, but she is not his biological mom. She is rather the elder sister of his father and may have played a significant part in raising him, which explains why he refers to her as a mom.
Eian Burton’s Parents Were Never Married but Had a One Night Stand Which Resulted in Eian’s Birth in 1980
Eian Burton’s parents were never married. Rather, they had a short fling or, more specifically, a one-night affair in 1979, after which they parted ways permanently. Chimera Smith later discovered that she was pregnant with Eian and decided to keep the pregnancy. She eventually gave birth in 1980. Eian’s mother raised him all by herself for the first three years of his life before reaching out to his father.
LeVar Burton Took Full Responsibility for Eian After DNA Tests Confirmed Paternity
When Chimera Smith informed LeVar Burton that she had birthed a son for him, the actor asked for a DNA test for confirmation. It confirmed paternity, and he immediately fessed up to his responsibilities. LeVar Burton instituted a paternity suit in Los Angeles and asked the court to legally declare that he was Eian’s father.
He asked for joint legal custody and visitation rights. He also offered to pay $600 in child support monthly. The actor was commended for taking such a noble path, and he later revealed that he was inspired to do so due to his personal experiences. He had grown up in a broken home and was largely raised by his mother. He, therefore, decided that he would love his children to experience the benefits of both parents.
Eian Burton’s Mother Accused Levar Burton of Kidnapping Their Son in 1984, But the Issue was Resolved Amicably
Following the resolution of the paternity suit, Eian Burton continued living with his mom but often visited his father. Things worked out smoothly in the first few months, but his parents clashed when his mother accused his father of attempting to kidnap him in June 1985. As the story went, Smith had allowed LeVar Burton to take the four-year-old Eian Burton on a two-week vacation.
He, however, failed to return him to Smith after the specified period and also failed to call her. She, therefore, reported him to the police. The story made the headlines, but LeVar Burton later explained that he never tried to withhold custody of the boy from Smith. He maintained that he only kept him at her behest. The whole thing was later sorted out, and the matter was not charged to court.
Eian Burton’s Father Maintained an Active Presence in his Life, and He Grew up To Be Close to His Paternal Extended Family
Once the kidnapping allegation blew over, Eian Burton grew up without many scandals. He stayed primarily with his mother in his early years while his father had constant visitation rights. However, he stayed with his dad more regularly as he got older. They became quite close, and his father advised him on various issues, including how to deal with cops as a young black man in America.
Eian Burton also spent lots of time with his paternal extended family members, including his paternal grandmother, Erma Gene, and his paternal aunt, Letitia. He also grew close to his cousins and referred to them as sisters on Facebook.
My Mom, Son, Grandaughter, Elder Sis and some random white dude… #bydhttmwfi pic.twitter.com/mNunxBON3S
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) May 11, 2014
Levar Burton’s Son is now a Special Education Teacher in Los Angeles
Eian Burton grew up in Los Angeles and attended Los Altos High School. He completed his diploma around 1997/1998. He then enrolled at Foothill College, Los Altos, in September 1998 for a degree program in special education. He completed the same in 2002.
Eian Burton is now a special education teacher and works at Monroe Middle School in San Jose, California. He also previously worked as a Community Base Instructor at the Santa Clara County Office of Education.
He Also Coaches Middle and Grade School Students in Basketball
Eian Burton is also a basketball coach. He is the assistant coach at Top Flight Elite, a private basketball coaching program that targets middle and grade school students. They participate in local and district competitions and have won some trophies over the years.
The essence of the program may be to make the students good enough for a prep and pro career. Then again, it may just be to give them an outlet for their passion and nothing more.
Eian Burton has a Daughter Named Sierra
Despite being the son of a popular actor, Eian Burton prefers to live his life out of the spotlight. His red carpet appearances are few and far between. His social media activity is also limited to Facebook, with his last posts dating back to 2017. From these posts, one can tell that Eian Burton is not married.
He, however, has a daughter named Sierra. Sierra was born around 2001/2002 and graduated from high school in 2019. He is proud of her and often shares her pictures on his social media.
