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Deacon James Johnson: What to Know About Don Johnson’s Youngest Son

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2 hours ago

4 November 2026

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Deacon James Johnson: What to Know About Don Johnson’s Youngest Son

Deacon James Johnson is the youngest son of actor Don Johnson and his wife, Kelley Phleger. He was born on April 29, 2006, and is 20 years old in 2026. He grew up in Santa Barbara, California, and now attends the University of Southern California.

Unlike some members of his famous family, Deacon has not started a public entertainment career. Recent updates about him have focused on his college life at USC, his family, and his interests in music and sports.

Quick Facts About Deacon James Johnson

Detail	Information
Full name	Deacon James Johnson
Date of birth	April 29, 2006
Age	20 in 2026
Birthplace	Not confirmed in the supplied sources
Raised in	Santa Barbara, California
Father	Don Johnson
Mother	Kelley Phleger
Full siblings	Atherton Grace Johnson and Jasper Breckenridge Johnson
Half-siblings	Jesse Wayne Johnson and Dakota Mayi Johnson
Education	University of Southern California
Current status	College student
Interests	Piano, guitar, football, and baseball
Known for	Being Don Johnson’s youngest son
Relationship status	Not publicly confirmed in the supplied sources
Children	None reported
Net worth	Not reliably known

Deacon James Johnson’s Age and Birthday

Deacon James Johnson was born on April 29, 2006. He turned 20 years old on April 29, 2026.

His birthday is also an important date for his parents. Deacon was born on Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger’s seventh wedding anniversary.

After Deacon’s birth, Don’s representative said the actor was very happy about welcoming another child.

Deacon’s exact birthplace is not given in the supplied sources.

Deacon Grew Up in Santa Barbara

Deacon grew up in Santa Barbara, California, with his family.

He spent much of his childhood outside the entertainment spotlight. His mother has shared some updates about him on social media, but he has not had the same public profile as his father or older half-sister Dakota Johnson.

In 2020, Kelley shared an update marking Deacon’s graduation from middle school.

The supplied sources do not name his middle school or high school.

Who Are Deacon Johnson’s Parents?

Deacon’s parents are Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger.

The couple married in April 1999. They later welcomed three children together: Atherton Grace, Jasper Breckenridge, and Deacon James.

Deacon James Johnson is their youngest child.

Kelley has shared several updates about her children over the years, including Deacon’s school milestones and more recent college life.

Who Is Don Johnson?

Don Johnson is Deacon’s father and a longtime actor.

He is especially known for playing James “Sonny” Crockett in Miami Vice. His career includes many other television and film projects, and one of the supplied sources also mentions his role in Rebel Ridge.

Don turned 75 in December 2024. He celebrated the occasion with his children and other family members.

He posted a family photograph from the celebration and wrote about how important his children are to him.

Deacon James Johnson has also attended sporting events and spent time playing music with his father and brothers.

Kelley Phleger Is Deacon’s Mother

Kelley Phleger is Deacon’s mother and Don Johnson’s wife.

She and Don married in April 1999. Their daughter Grace was born later that year, followed by Jasper in 2002 and Deacon in 2006.

Kelley has provided some of the public updates about Deacon’s life. Her social media posts have shown milestones including his middle-school graduation, senior year of high school, and college life.

In September 2026, she shared a photograph from a visit to Deacon’s fraternity house at USC.

Deacon Has Four Older Siblings

Deacon has four older siblings through his father.

His full siblings are Atherton Grace Johnson and Jasper Breckenridge Johnson.

His paternal half-siblings are Jesse Wayne Johnson and Dakota Mayi Johnson.

The siblings have followed different paths. Dakota and Jesse entered entertainment, while Grace has worked in fashion and modeling. Jasper has largely remained private and was active in basketball during school.

As of 2026, Deacon is focused on college.

Atherton Grace Johnson Is His Older Sister

Atherton Grace Johnson, commonly known as Grace, was born on December 28, 1999.

Like Deacon, she grew up in Santa Barbara.

Grace later studied photography at the University of Southern California, meaning she and Deacon attended the same university.

She also became a model and signed with IMG. Grace made her runway debut at the Christian Cowan x The Powerpuff Girls show in 2019.

She later walked in Gucci’s 2021 Love Parade show and appeared in other fashion work.

Jasper Breckenridge Johnson Is His Older Brother

Jasper Breckenridge Johnson was born on June 6, 2002.

He also grew up in Santa Barbara and developed a strong interest in sports.

Jasper played varsity basketball in high school, starting during his freshman year. His parents regularly attended his games.

He graduated from high school in 2021. Before graduating, Jasper said he hoped to study business at a four-year college.

Dakota Johnson Is Deacon’s Half-Sister

Deacon’s older half-sister is actress Dakota Mayi Johnson.

Dakota was born on October 4, 1989, to Don Johnson and actress Melanie Griffith.

She followed her parents into acting and became widely known for playing Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades movies.

Her other projects include The Social Network, 21 Jump Street, The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Lost Daughter, and Materialists.

Dakota also worked as a model before her acting career became her main focus.

Jesse Johnson Is Deacon’s Half-Brother

Deacon’s oldest paternal half-brother is Jesse Wayne Johnson.

Jesse was born on December 7, 1982, to Don Johnson and actress Patti D’Arbanville.

Jesse studied theater at Occidental College and graduated in 2004.

He later became an actor. His credits include Nash Bridges, Hawaii Five-0, Twin Peaks, Grey’s Anatomy, and NCIS.

Jesse is also a musician. He has played guitar and released music, including work with his band Blame Baby.

Deacon Johnson Attends USC

Deacon James Johnson attends the University of Southern California, commonly known as USC.

Don and Kelley helped their youngest son move into college in 2024.

At the time, Don spoke about adjusting to his children leaving home. He also said that Deacon’s college location made regular family visits possible.

The supplied sources do not provide Deacon’s USC major or degree program.

His Parents Visited His Fraternity House in 2026

In September 2026, Don and Kelley visited Deacon at his fraternity house at USC.

A photograph showed the 20-year-old sitting with his father on a sofa. Deacon had his arm around Don.

Kelley shared the photograph and joked about the parents visiting the fraternity house.

The update provided a rare look at Deacon’s life as a university student.

The supplied sources do not name the fraternity he belongs to.

Deacon Wanted to Become an Astronaut in High School

In 2023, Deacon began his senior year of high school.

Kelley shared a photograph of him holding a chalkboard about his plans and interests. It said that he wanted to become an astronaut when he grew up.

There is no information showing that Deacon is currently studying aerospace, astronomy, engineering, or another related subject at USC.

His astronaut comment should therefore be understood as a high-school ambition rather than his confirmed career plan.

Deacon Plays Piano and Guitar

Deacon James Johnson has shown an interest in music.

His parents have shared posts featuring him playing both the piano and guitar.

Music also appears during Johnson family gatherings. Don has previously shared footage of his sons playing guitar around Thanksgiving.

There is no information showing that Deacon is currently pursuing music professionally.

He Also Enjoys Sports

Sports are another interest in Deacon’s life.

He has attended football and baseball games with his father.

His older brother Jasper was more directly involved in competitive sports through high-school basketball.

The supplied information does not identify Deacon James Johnson as a college or professional athlete.

Deacon Has Not Followed His Family Into Acting

Several members of Deacon’s family have careers connected to entertainment.

Don Johnson is an actor. Dakota Johnson became a successful film actress. Jesse Johnson also works as an actor and musician, while Grace entered modeling.

Deacon James Johnson has not been reported as pursuing acting.

As of the latest information from 2026, he is best described as a USC student rather than an actor, musician, athlete, or other entertainment professional.

Deacon and His Family Spend Time Together

Don’s children have appeared together at family gatherings despite their different ages and careers.

For Don’s 75th birthday in December 2024, the family gathered together for a celebration.

The group included Kelley, Deacon, Grace, Jasper, Dakota, and Jesse. Melanie Griffith’s children Alexander Bauer and Stella Banderas were also present.

Holiday updates have also shown members of the family spending time together.