Reviewed and last updated on August 10, 2026 by Awais Ahmed, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Urban Scope News.
Zulekha Haywood is Iman and Spencer Haywood’s eldest daughter, born in 1978, the year after her parents married. She grew up largely in Detroit, Michigan, and has kept a relatively low public profile compared with her famous parents.
Early Life and Family Background
Iman and Spencer Haywood married in 1977, and Zulekha was born the following year. Her father, Spencer Haywood, was a star forward who had already made history in the NBA after successfully challenging the league’s age-eligibility rules in the US Supreme Court, a case that helped pave the way for the NBA’s hardship rule allowing younger players to turn professional early. Her mother, Iman, had emigrated from Somalia and risen to become one of the most recognised faces in international fashion.
Much of Zulekha’s early childhood was spent in Detroit, where her father built a second career in property development after his playing days. Her parents’ relationship, however, did not last, and the marriage ended within a decade.
Early Public Appearances
Because both her parents were already well known by the time she was born, Zulekha appeared in the public eye from infancy. In 1979, as a baby, she featured alongside Iman on the cover of Essence magazine’s ninth-anniversary issue. She appeared on the magazine’s cover again in 1982, this time with both parents, in what was one of the family’s few widely seen joint appearances before the marriage later broke down.
Parents’ Divorce and a Lengthy Custody Dispute
Spencer Haywood and Iman divorced in 1987, when Zulekha was nine years old. What followed was a prolonged and highly publicised custody dispute that stretched on for several years before the two parents reached an out-of-court settlement in the early 1990s. Under the eventual arrangement, Zulekha lived primarily with her father, while her mother retained visitation rights.
The dispute took place against the backdrop of two very public lives. Iman met musician David Bowie in 1990 and married him in 1992, around the same time the custody settlement was reached, while Spencer Haywood had remarried in 1990.
Education
Zulekha attended Mercy High School before going on to study at Michigan State University. She has kept most details of her university years private, but her academic background laid the groundwork for the career in business she went on to pursue, rather than following either parent into fashion or professional sport.
Career and Personal Life
Away from the spotlight her parents occupied, Zulekha Haywood built a career in business. She began at her mother’s company, Iman Cosmetics, where she started as an accountant before being promoted to Revenue and Demand Planning Manager. Public professional listings also associate her with later roles in business analysis and supply-chain work, though detailed, verified information about her current position is limited.
Zulekha married in a private ceremony in 2016 and welcomed a daughter, Lavinia, the following year. She has generally kept her personal and family life away from media attention.
Extended Family
Through her mother’s later marriage to musician David Bowie, Zulekha has a younger half-sister, Alexandria “Lexi” Jones, born in 2000. On her father’s side, she also has several half-siblings from Spencer Haywood’s other relationships. Members of the wider family have generally kept a low public profile, in keeping with Zulekha’s own preference for privacy.
Her Body Image Journey, In Her Own Words
In March 2010, Zulekha wrote about her long struggle with weight and body image in a first-person piece for Glamour magazine. She described growing up unable to fit either parent’s world: she did not resemble her supermodel mother, and she was not naturally athletic like her father, which left her feeling pressure from both sides of her family. She wrote that she had more or less been on a diet since the age of eight.
Her mother’s approach centred on portion control, reportedly using the Italian word “basta,” meaning “enough,” as a gentle check on second helpings. Her father took a different approach, enrolling her in an intensive tennis camp that combined hours of daily exercise with dietary changes; she lost weight during the programme but, as with earlier diets, found the results difficult to sustain once the structured routine ended.
She underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in her late twenties and wrote that she went from around 330 pounds to 160 pounds, losing around 170 pounds in total and moving from a size 26 to a size 6, before later settling at around 165 pounds and a size 8.
Where Is She Now
Zulekha Haywood continues to maintain a low public profile, largely away from the spotlight that surrounds her parents. Her father, Spencer Haywood, became a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 2015, and her mother, Iman, continues her work in fashion and cosmetics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Zulekha Haywood’s parents? Her father is Spencer Haywood, a former NBA player and Hall of Fame inductee, and her mother is Iman, the Somali-American supermodel.
When was Zulekha Haywood born? She was born in 1978, the year after her parents married in 1977.
What does Zulekha Haywood do for a living? She began her career at her mother’s company, Iman Cosmetics, working as an accountant before being promoted to Revenue and Demand Planning Manager. Public listings also associate her with later work in business analysis and supply-chain planning.
Is Zulekha Haywood married? Yes, she married in a private ceremony in 2016 and has a daughter, Lavinia, born in 2017.
Does Zulekha Haywood have siblings? She has a younger half-sister, Alexandria “Lexi” Jones, from her mother’s marriage to David Bowie, as well as half-siblings on her father’s side.
