Zeinab Harake Says Her Kids Called Ray Parks “Daddy” Before They Met Him

Meanwhile, Ray stepped into the role completely.

Published on Jun 17, 2025

Content creator Zeinab Harake revealed that her now-husband, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., was already “Daddy Ray” to her kids even before they met him.

In Cosmopolitan’s exclusive story featuring the couple, Zeinab shared a personal rule she followed while dating: to keep her children, Lucas (7) and Bia (4), separate from her love life.

“Lagi kong sinasabi, hindi pwedeng involved ‘yung kids ko, para kung masaktan man ako, ako lang—hindi sila damay. Ayokong ma-attach sila, kasi iniingatan ko sila eh,” she explained.

But as Zeinab met Ray and started to grow closer to him, her son Lucas picked up on it and began teasing her. “Actually, hindi ko pinakilala [agad] si Ray. ‘Yung panganay ko, si Lucas, naririnig niya na may nakakausap ako. Tapos lagi siyang sisilip, ‘Daddy? Daddy?’ gano’n siya, nang-aasar siya.”

That early curiosity turned into full-on support: “Feeling ko naging supportive si Lucas kasi nakita niya ‘yung pain ko [noon] eh. Kasi si Bia, 10 months pa lang, naging single mom na ako. Tapos si Lucas, turning 5 na, so nakakaisip na siya.”

When it was finally time for the kids to meet Ray, Zeinab expected them to call him “Tito.” But they had already made up their minds. “Sila ‘yung tumawag ng Daddy Ray,” she said.

Also read: Ang Bongga Ng Disney Princess-Inspired Maternity Shoot Ni Zeinab Harake

Ray, for his part, fully embraced the role. “[I was] fulfilled and grateful. It’s better than what I could’ve imagined,” he told Cosmo. “Being able to see the kids grow, and you know to yourself na, regardless of any basketball game, what you do in this world, they look at you as a superhero, and you come to a household that loves you for who you are.”

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In a YouTube vlog titled with their wedding hashtag, #ZEINABfoundherRAYt1, Ray reflected on the public’s reaction to his close bond with the kids.

“Honestly, I was taken aback as to how the media perceived it to be like, ‘woah, he accepted Zeinab’s children... that’s big!’ I was like, I get it, but never thought of it that way because for me, I was longing for a family,” he said.

Ray refers to Lucas as “my son.”

On June 1, everything came full circle. Zeinab and Ray exchanged vows in a dreamy ceremony at the Crystal Palace of Aquila in the Sky, Tagaytay City. Just like that, the “Daddy Ray” the kids had already claimed officially became part of the family.

Zeinab Harake adopted Lucas when she was just 18. She later had Bia with ex-partner and rapper Skusta Clee.

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Hanna is a News Desk Writer at Smart Parenting, covering parenting, health, culture, and more. Off the clock, she’s likely people-watching at a café or park, matcha latte in hand.