If you watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 or Hubie Halloween and found yourself wondering about the young girl standing next to Kevin James, you’re not alone. Her name is Shea Joelle James, and she happens to be his real-life daughter.
Now 18 years old, Shea has quietly built a resume of Hollywood credits while staying largely out of the spotlight. Unlike many celebrity children chasing TikTok fame, she’s taken a slower, more private path. Here’s what you actually need to know about her.
Who is Shea Joelle James?
Shea Joelle James is the eldest daughter of actor Kevin James and his wife, actress Steffiana de la Cruz. Born in Los Angeles on June 14, 2007, she grew up in a household that blended Hollywood careers with a strong emphasis on normalcy.
Her mother, Steffiana, is Filipino-American, giving Shea and her siblings mixed heritage—something the family has spoken about warmly in interviews. While her father is one of the highest-grossing comedy stars of the 2000s, Shea’s own career has been selective rather than constant.
She is not a social media influencer. She does not post publicly on Instagram or TikTok. And that quiet approach is very much by design.
The Story Behind the Name
“Shea” catches people off guard. It’s uncommon for a girl, and it doesn’t follow the usual celebrity-kid naming trends.
Kevin James named his daughter after Shea Stadium.
A lifelong New York Mets fan, James grew up watching games in Queens. When his first child was born, he wanted a tribute to the ballpark where so many of his memories lived. His wife, Steffiana, agreed on one condition: she got to name the next one.
Appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman, James joked about the arrangement. “I got Shea,” he said. “She got the rest.” That casual story has followed Shea her entire life, and it remains the most personal detail her father has ever shared about her publicly.
Shea Joelle James Age and Upbringing
Shea turned 18 in June 2025. That makes her a legal adult, though she continues to live a low-profile life between Los Angeles and New York.
Kevin and Steffiana have been intentional about keeping their children grounded. Paparazzi shots of the James kids are rare. There are no red carpet interviews with toddlers, no family reality shows, no branded YouTube channels. Shea attended private schools, and her parents have never disclosed which ones.
This level of privacy is unusual for someone with legitimate film credits. But it reflects a specific parenting choice: let the kids decide if they want the industry, rather than pushing them into it.
Career Highlights (2015 – 2022)
Shea’s acting resume is short but real. She’s worked consistently across eight years, always in productions connected to her father or the Adam Sandler circle.
2015 – The Big Screen Debut
Shea was seven years old when she appeared in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. She played a small uncredited role, but it marked her entry into the family business. That same year, she appeared in Pixels as a classroom scout girl. Both films were commercial hits, and both placed her alongside her father and the Sandler family’s children.
2016-2020 – Television and Netflix
During her preteen years, Shea landed episodes of Kevin Can Wait, her father’s CBS sitcom. She played Lucy and later a Trick or Treater in the show’s Halloween episode.
In 2020, she joined the cast of Hubie Halloween, the Netflix comedy that reunited much of Sandler’s regular ensemble. She played Cooky’s Friend—a minor role, but one that placed her in one of the most-streamed movies of that year.
2022 – Transition to the Stage
Shea took an unexpected turn in 2022. Rather than pursuing more screen work, she joined a stage production of Oliver! at the Cultural Arts Playhouse on Long Island.
She played Bet, a supporting role that requires singing and live performance. Her younger sister, Sienna-Marie, appeared in the same production. This shift from film to legitimate theater signaled something important: Shea wasn’t just showing up for her dad’s movies. She was choosing roles that challenged her.
The James Family Dynamic
Shea is the oldest of four. Her siblings are Sienna-Marie (born 2010), Kannon (born 2011), and Sistine (born 2015).
Sienna-Marie has also acted, appearing in Hubie Halloween and Oliver! alongside Shea. The sisters are close, and their parents have encouraged them to collaborate creatively while maintaining normal childhoods.
Kevin James has described fatherhood as his primary identity. In interviews, he talks less about box office numbers and more about bedtime routines, school plays, and teaching his kids to stay humble. Adam Sandler’s children, Sadie and Sunny, grew up alongside the James kids, and the two families remain connected both personally and professionally.
Is Shea Joelle James Married?
No.
Shea is 18, single, and focused on her education and personal growth. There is no public record of her dating anyone, and she has never been married. Some sites speculate about her relationships, but those pages are filled with guesses, not facts.
Given her family’s commitment to privacy, it’s unlikely Shea will ever be a celebrity gossip regular—and that appears to be exactly how she wants it.
Shea Joelle James Net Worth: Separating Fact from Fiction
Google “Shea Joelle James net worth” and you’ll get answers ranging from $50,000 to $100 million.
Neither is correct.
Shea does not have an independent fortune. She is a teenager who has worked periodically in family productions. Child actors in supporting roles do not earn millions, and whatever she has made is almost certainly managed by her parents.
Her father, Kevin James, has an estimated net worth of $100 million from his decades in television and film. That is family wealth, not personal income. It’s an important distinction, and one that most competing articles deliberately blur to drive clicks.
The clean truth: Shea is financially secure because of her family, but she has not accumulated significant personal wealth. At 18, she’s still figuring out her path.
Life Beyond the Camera
When Shea isn’t acting, she isn’t visible. She maintains no public social media profiles. There are no behind-the-scenes vlogs, no sponsored posts, no attempts to build a personal brand.
What is known comes from brief mentions by her parents: she enjoys reading, she travels with her family, and she values her privacy. She graduated high school recently and appears to be weighing options—college, more theater work, or perhaps stepping away from the industry entirely.
Whatever she chooses, she’s already accomplished something rare in Hollywood. She got to experience the magic of moviemaking as a child, but she wasn’t consumed by it.
What Makes Shea Joelle James Different
Celebrity children usually fall into one of two camps: those who chase fame aggressively and those who run from it completely. Shea sits somewhere in the middle.
She’s worked on major studio releases, shared screen time with Adam Sandler, and performed live theater in front of paying audiences. But she’s never given an interview. She’s never explained herself. She’s simply shown up, done the work, and gone home.
In an era where every moment is content, that restraint is rare. It’s also worth respecting.
Shea Joelle James isn’t a cautionary tale about child stardom or a tabloid fixture waiting to happen. She’s just a young woman from a famous family who got to play make-believe on some very big sets—and then quietly went back to being a kid.
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