The Franklin family is growing again-and this time, gospel giant Kirk Franklin's youngest son is preparing to become a father!
Caziah Franklin, 25, and his wife, author and actress Alena "Lena" Pitts Franklin, have announced that they are expecting their first child. The joyful news comes just over two years after the young couple exchanged vows in a picturesque Tennessee wedding on August 3, 2024.
No official due date or baby gender has been revealed, leaving fans eagerly waiting for the couple's next update. One thing is already certain: this baby will arrive surrounded by plenty of love, faith and one famously musical family.
Alena will be instantly recognizable to Christian-movie audiences. She delivered her breakout performance as Danielle Jordan in the hugely successful 2015 faith-based drama War Room, appearing alongside Priscilla Shirer, T.C. Stallings and Karen Abercrombie. Since then, she has continued building her career as an actress, author and creative voice for young women.
Caziah, meanwhile, is the youngest child of Kirk and Tammy Franklin. A producer, photographer, storyteller and outdoor enthusiast, he has often documented his travels and adventures with Alena across social media.
Their love story moved quickly toward the altar after Caziah announced their engagement in April 2024. Kirk could hardly contain his pride at the time, declaring that his "young king" had found his queen and assuring everyone that his son was ready for marriage.
When Caziah and Alena tied the knot four months later, Kirk welcomed his new daughter-in-law with an emotional family tribute. He said he wished Alena could have met Gertrude, the beloved woman who raised him and gave the family its Franklin name. He believed Gertrude would have loved both Alena and Caziah.
This will not be Kirk and Tammy's first trip to the grandparent nursery. Their eldest daughter, Carrington Franklin Nakwaasah, and her husband, Maxx Nakwaasah, have already welcomed two children. Their first son, Shiloh, made Kirk and Tammy grandparents in 2020.
However, the new arrival will be the first child for Caziah and Alena-and another beautiful milestone for a family whose public story has frequently centered on faith, restoration and love across generations.
From War Room child star to expectant mother, Alena is entering an exciting new chapter. And Caziah, once introduced proudly by Kirk as his "young king," is now preparing to raise a little prince or princess of his own.
Congratulations to Caziah and Alena Pitts Franklin!
