It’s been twenty years since Disney released a movie based on the iconic attraction, the Haunted Mansion. While the 2003 film starring Eddie Murphy didn’t perform well with audiences, that didn’t stop Disney from trying again. On July 28, 2023, Disney released its new live-action Haunted Mansion. The film stars Rosario Dawson as Gabbie and Chase Dillon as her son Travis. The two move into an abandoned New Orleans mansion, but find that they are not alone. They must enlist the help of several locals if they want to be able to get out alive.
One of the people Gabbie calls for help is former paranormal investigator turned New Orleans tour guide, Ben Matthias. Matthias is portrayed by Atlanta star LaKeith Stanfield. Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien has even said that he would not have made the film without a black lead, and he loved Stanfield for the role. Stanfield stars alongside a number of notable actors and actresses, including Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tiffany Haddish. While a lot is known about his fellow Haunted Mansion stars, Stanfield is known for keeping his private life very private.
But he recently decided to change that.
In a new interview with People, Stanfield opened up about his life more than he ever has. He revealed that not only were he and his fiancé, Kasmere Trice Stanfield, actually married, but they have a new baby! The two announced their engagement on Instagram last December, but never shared that they had gotten married. Stanfield has two children from prior relationships, and has kept them out of the limelight. Something he and his new wife wished to do with their new bundle of joy.
Stanfield spoke about his beautiful new family and why he decided to finally reveal the news.
“Being in the public eye can be something that’s amazing, but it can also be something that is very hard on you. There needs to be things that exist that are sacred and not for consumption for everybody. We want to be the ones to tell our story. We’re bringing our family forward so we may inspire others.”
Stanfield and his fellow Haunted Mansion stars were happily promoting the film for months before they had to stop due to the SAG strike, which began just two weeks before the movie was released. Because of the strike, none of the actors could attend the film’s premiere at Disneyland Resort.
While the strike has put most of Hollywood on pause, Stanfield is using this time as an opportunity to work on his music. He is planning on releasing his EP, Brother, later this summer. The EP will be released under his stage name, Htiekal. He shared that the EP will be an audiovisual experience, “which combines synth and soul.”