Kris Humphries Ethnicity, Race & Heritage: Is He Mixed Race? Full Background Explained

Quick answer: Yes — Kris Humphries is biracial. His father, William Duane Humphries, is African-American with a small amount of Irish ancestry, while his mother, Debra Jean Lemke, is of German descent. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Is Kris Humphries Mixed Race? Is He Biracial?

Yes — Kris Humphries is biracial. His father is African-American (with a trace of Irish heritage), and his mother is of German descent. Kris himself disclosed on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians that his father's grandmother was of Irish descent — confirming the Irish thread in his paternal ancestry.

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What Is Kris Humphries' Ethnicity?

Kris Humphries' ethnicity combines his father's African-American (with a trace of Irish) heritage and his mother's German ancestry. He was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father, William Duane Humphries, was a football player at the University of Minnesota, and Kris followed an athletic path to the NBA.

The German heritage on his mother's side is deeply rooted in Minnesota, a state that received large numbers of German immigrants during the 19th century. Kris's maternal family history is among the most genealogically documented aspects of his background, tracing through multiple German immigrant lines in Minnesota.

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Father's Side: African-American and Irish Roots

William Duane Humphries is African-American and played college football at the University of Minnesota. Kris disclosed on Keeping Up with the Kardashians that his father's grandmother was of Irish descent — making Kris approximately 1/8th Irish on his paternal side. This Irish thread is likely connected to the history of Irish-Black relationships or intermarriage in the American Midwest. Specific details about William's parents have not been publicly documented beyond this.

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Mother's Side: German Heritage

Debra Jean Lemke (Humphries) is of German descent. Her father, Donald John "Don" Lemke, was born in Minnesota, the son of Herbert August Wilhelm Lemke and Wilhelmina A. "Minnie" Weise — both of German heritage. Don's mother Wilhelmina was herself the daughter of Paul George August Weise and Augusta Kuhlmann, who were also of German origin.

Kris's maternal grandmother, Darlene A. "Donna" Willemsen, was also of German heritage. Her father, Otto W. Willemsen, was born in Minnesota to German parents: Jacob Hubert Willemsen from Vynen, Rhineland, and Hermina "Minnie" Meinhart. His mother Magdalena Feltmann was also of German descent.

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Grandparents: A Complete Picture

Paternal Grandfather: Unknown — African-American heritage; Minnesota.

Paternal Grandmother: Unknown — African-American with Irish ancestry; her own mother was reportedly Irish.

Maternal Grandfather: Donald John "Don" Lemke — German; born Minnesota; son of Herbert August Wilhelm Lemke and Wilhelmina Weise.

Maternal Grandmother: Darlene A. "Donna" Willemsen — German; born Minnesota; father from Vynen, Rhineland, Germany (Jacob Hubert Willemsen).

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Spouse's Ethnicity & Children's Heritage

Kris Humphries is best known publicly for his 72-day marriage to Kim Kardashian, who married him on August 20, 2011, and filed for divorce on October 31, 2011. Kim Kardashian is of Armenian-American and Scottish-Dutch-English ancestry. Kris has no publicly known children.

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Kris Humphries in His Own Words

"My dad's grandmother was Irish. I didn't even know that until I looked into it more." — Kris Humphries, Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Kris Humphries revealed his Irish ancestry during a conversation on the Kardashian reality show, expressing genuine surprise at the discovery. This candid disclosure made the Irish thread in his predominantly African-American paternal line one of the better-documented elements of his heritage.

▶ Watch on YouTube →

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Is Kris Humphries Alive?

Yes, Kris Humphries is alive. Born February 6, 1985, he is 41 years old as of 2026. He retired from professional basketball after the 2018–19 season and has maintained a relatively private life since.

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Visual Family Tree

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Sources

Interviews & Direct Quotes

• Keeping Up with the Kardashians — Kris Humphries discusses Irish ancestry (various seasons)

Genealogy & Ethnic