Having a child reach their “sweet” sixteenth birthday is an accomplishment worth causing some commotion over. Keyshia Cole’s eldest eldest son, Daniel Hiram Gibson Jr., just turned 16, and Cole decided to celebrate his milestone age in a big way. The star and her firstborn headed to the Bahamas with loved ones and had quite the birthday bash. The “Heaven Sent” singer shared glimpses of the celebration in an Instagram reel.
“Screaming HAPPY BDAY FROM THE BAHAMAS,” the reel caption began.
“And the party don’t stop !!! #16th BDay @daniel_gibsonjr ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Love you so much son! These 16 years have gone by so fast!!!! Every year has been amazing throwing u all these party’s !! This year you chose the vibes! We had a great time!!!! Moving to Miami and not having all your friends here, I was happy seeing u all together again, celebrating YOU! Everyone who came thank you for attending ❤️❤️”
Multiple kids showed up to celebrate Daniel and the party was basketball-themed. The kids shot hoops, enjoyed some Connect 4, and also had a range of eats from pizza to nachos.
Cole had him with ex-husband and former NBA player Daniel Gibson, whom she married in 2011. They stayed together for a number of years, separating and reconciling, but she eventually left, citing her son as one of the reasons she stayed so long.
“That was a lot of the reason why I didn’t get a divorce through all the cheating,” she told PEOPLE in 2023. “Because it was like, I just want to do it for my kid, you know what I’m saying? Like, ‘Can he have two parents in the same home?'”
The “Love” singer is pulling double duty as a boy mom. She has another son named Tobias, who was born in 2019. Cole had her youngest child with ex-boyfriend Niko Khale.
Cole and her kids have had some challenging times in recent years. In addition to the passing of Cole’s mom, Frankie Lyons, in 2021, they lost their home to the Los Angeles wildfires in 2025. Nevertheless, they’re blessed. In December, around the holidays, the singer reflected on how much her kids and loved ones truly mean to her.
“Around this time last year we lost everything!!! So this year I really focused on memories more than things,” she wrote. “Everything can be gone in the blink of an eye, but true love, family! FRIENDs! This is forever!”
Cole has said, confidently, that motherhood has brought a sense of calm to her life.
“You have to make life-altering decisions. Like, hey man, if I do that, they might send me up the creek,” she told The Breakfast Club about staying away from conflict.
“That’s what did it. I didn’t want to go to jail and never get to see them again.”
It’s good to see the mom of two enjoying life with her boys and focusing on what matters. Happy birthday to Daniel! Time is moving way too fast!