Debraca Denise: She Inherited a $3.6 Million Debt and Then Got Fired by a Court

Debraca Denise, When Redd Foxx died on October 11, 1991, he left one adopted daughter, no will, and a $3.6 million tax bill for the IRS. Debraca Denise got the job of cleaning it up. A decade later, a court removed her from that job entirely.

That is the real story of Debraca Denise. Not the television cameos. Not the famous father. The estate war that consumed years of her life and ended with a Nevada judge replacing her.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full name	Debraca Denise (also Debraca Foxx)
Born	Around 1947, St. Louis, Missouri (year disputed — see below)
Biological mother	Betty Jean Harris (singer, dancer, nightclub performer)
Biological father	Unknown; not publicly identified
Adoptive father	Redd Foxx (John Elroy Sanford), comedian and actor
Adopted	Around 1956, aged approximately nine
Education	Not publicly documented
Former relationship	Jackie Jackson (co-founder of the Jackson 5)
Husband	Ralph(a) Russell, Los Angeles businessman
Wedding	June 1975, Beverly Wilshire Hotel Grand Ballroom
Son	Paul Hiles (one source confirms; most sources leave this blank)
TV appearances	Sanford and Son, Sanford, Unsung Hollywood
Estate role	Administrator of Redd Foxx’s estate from 1991 until removed in 2006
Still alive	Yes, as of 2026, living privately

Who Her Mother Was — This Part Gets Skipped

Before Redd Foxx entered the picture, there was Betty Jean Harris. She was a singer, dancer, and nightclub performer working the circuit in the 1950s. Debraca was her daughter from a previous relationship.

The two met at a nightclub. Redd Foxx was already a performer building his name on the underground comedy circuit. Betty was on the same bill. They connected and married on July 5, 1956.

Betty left her performance career entirely to support Foxx’s. She ran his business ventures — including Redd Foxx Enterprises, which included a chain of record stores in Los Angeles. She handled his finances for years. She knew his business better than most.

Foxx adopted Betty’s daughter Debraca around the time they married. Debraca was approximately nine years old.

The Birth Year Problem — Nobody Agrees

This is one of the first issues serious research exposes. Debraca’s birth year is listed differently across almost every source.

Most sources say 1947. One detailed profile says 1957. Another says “1949 or 1950.” At least one source uses 1947 as the base because Foxx adopted her at around age nine in 1956 — making 1947 the most mathematically consistent answer.

But none of this is confirmed by primary documentation. Her actual birthdate is not publicly recorded.

This matters because it affects the basic facts: how old she was at her wedding, how old she is today, and whether the “adopted at age nine” claim lines up with any given year.

The record has a hole in it from the very first line.

Redd Foxx Did Not Attend Her Wedding

In June 1975, Debraca married Ralph Russell, a Los Angeles businessman, in a ceremony inside the Grand Ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The event cost around $40,000. About 450 guests attended. The bride wore a white chiffon gown by Beverly Hills designer Holan Miller. Her maid of honor was Antoinette Woods. Her best man was Deimion Schott.

Redd Foxx was not there.

His absence from his own adopted daughter’s wedding is one of the more documented facts in this story — and it has multiple competing explanations. His marriage to Betty had collapsed in 1974 after eighteen years. He filed for divorce citing “incompatibility.” Courts found that $110,000 had been withdrawn from shared bank accounts, and Betty was ordered to return it.

Foxx and Betty were in open conflict when Debraca married. Sources indicate an invitation mix-up may have also played a role. Betty responded to his absence by leaving his name off the wedding invitations — he was not listed as the bride’s father.

Debraca’s uncle, Kent Harris, walked her down the aisle instead.

Nobody from the family ever gave a full public account of what actually happened that day.

Jackie Jackson — A Fact, Not a Rumor

Before Russell, Debraca dated Jackie Jackson. He is the oldest of the Jackson brothers — the same family as Michael Jackson — and a co-founder of the Jackson 5.

Their relationship was real enough to be photographed. Those images exist in the public record. The relationship ended, and Jackie Jackson later married Enid Arden Span. Debraca married Ralph Russell.

How long they were together and exactly why it ended is not documented.

What Redd Foxx Actually Died From

Redd Foxx collapsed on the set of his TV series The Royal Family on October 11, 1991. He was 68. He died of a heart attack hours later.

Here is the dark irony that almost every source notes: Foxx had spent years on Sanford and Son performing fake heart attacks as part of his comedy act. His character Fred Sanford clutched his chest and called out to his deceased wife Elizabeth in some of the show’s most remembered scenes.

When he actually collapsed on set, his co-workers reportedly thought it was another routine at first.

He died intestate. No will. No plan. The IRS was owed $3.6 million.

The Estate War — The Real Story of Her Adult Life

Because Foxx left no will, a court had to identify who should manage his estate. Debraca was appointed administrator. There were two legal heirs: Debraca as his adopted daughter, and Ka Ho Cho, his fourth wife.

Ka Ho Cho had married Foxx on July 8, 1991. He died on October 11, 1991. They had been married for roughly three months.

Cho immediately pushed back on Debraca’s role. Her accusation was specific: Debraca had failed to provide accounts of royalties, residuals, and licensing revenue collected after Foxx’s death. Cho believed Debraca took money for herself instead of directing it toward paying down the IRS debt.

Debraca denied the accusations. The dispute ran for years.

In 2006 — fifteen years after Foxx’s death — the Nevada probate court removed Debraca as administrator. It replaced her with John J. Cahill, a public administrator based in Las Vegas, where the estate was held.

The court’s action was not just a procedural change. A judge determined she had failed to comply with a court order to account for what she had done with estate revenue.

That is a significant finding, not a minor technicality.

Cahill announced in 2010 that the primary asset in the estate was the rights to Redd Foxx’s life story. Nevada law allows the marketing of someone’s “right of publicity” — the commercial use of a name, likeness, or voice. His plan was to sell those rights to pay the IRS debt.

Whether that resolved the tax bill is not clearly documented in public records.

The Accusation Against Betty Jean Harris — Also Left Unresolved

One source raises a point that most articles ignore entirely. When Debraca was appointed estate administrator, speculation arose that Betty Jean Harris had maneuvered the outcome. The reasoning: Betty had managed Foxx’s business operations for years. She understood the estate better than anyone else. Her daughter being named administrator, rather than the widow Ka Ho Cho, may not have been coincidence.

Betty Harris did not respond to media on this point. The claim was never proven. But it sits in the record, never properly addressed.

Her TV Work — Small and Inconsistently Documented

Debraca made limited television appearances. Most sources name three: Sanford and Son, Sanford, and Unsung Hollywood.

Her Sanford and Son appearance is listed as 1972 in some accounts and 1977 in others. The character she played — Doris Martin — is mentioned in the 1977 context. These timelines have never been reconciled in any source.

She appeared in an episode of Sanford (the continuation series) in 1980 or 1981. And she appeared in Unsung Hollywood — a documentary-format series — in either 2014 or 2015, depending on the source.

That is the entire documented public career. She never pursued acting as a profession.

Children — Another Contradiction Left in the Record

Most articles about Debraca state, flatly, that she and Ralph Russell have no confirmed children. No public information exists.

One source — latemagazine.com — states directly that they have a son named Paul Hiles, who is married with children of his own. No other source confirms this. No source contradicts it either.

It is unverified. But the specificity of the claim — a name, Paul Hiles — makes it worth noting rather than ignoring.

What Is Known vs. What Is Not

Confirmed or well-sourced:

• Born around 1947, St. Louis, Missouri (year disputed, 1947 most consistent)
• Daughter of Betty Jean Harris; biological father unknown
• Adopted by Redd Foxx circa 1956
• Dated Jackie Jackson before marriage
• Married Ralph Russell, June 1975, Beverly Wilshire Hotel
• Redd Foxx absent from wedding during Betty/Redd divorce conflict
• Betty removed Foxx’s name from wedding invitations
• Uncle Kent Harris walked her down the aisle
• Appointed Foxx estate administrator after his 1991 death
• Ka Ho Cho accused her of financial mismanagement of estate
• Removed as administrator by Nevada court in 2006
• John J. Cahill replaced her; 2010 plan to sell Foxx’s likeness rights
• Still alive as of 2026, living privately

Unresolved or contradicted:

• Exact birth year (1947 most cited, but 1957 and “1949-50” also appear)
• Whether she has children (most say no; one source names a son, Paul Hiles)
• The outcome of the IRS tax debt — never publicly confirmed as resolved
• The exact nature of the court finding against her — “failed to comply with court order” but details not public
• What happened to Ka Ho Cho’s legal fight with public administrator Cahill

You may also like Theodora Holmes

FAQ — 12 Real Questions

1. Who is Debraca Denise?

She is the biological daughter of Betty Jean Harris and the adopted daughter of comedian Redd Foxx. She appeared in minor TV roles and later became administrator of Foxx’s estate after his death in 1991.

2. What is her birth year?

Most sources say 1947, which aligns with Foxx adopting her around age nine in 1956. However, sources also list 1957 and “1949 or 1950.” No confirmed birthdate is publicly available.

3. Who was her biological father?

Unknown. No source identifies him, and she has not spoken about it publicly.

4. Did Redd Foxx really skip her wedding?

Yes. He was absent from her June 1975 wedding at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The reason involves his ongoing divorce conflict with Betty Jean Harris. Betty responded by removing his name from the wedding invitations. Debraca’s uncle Kent Harris gave her away.

5. Who did she date before Ralph Russell?

Jackie Jackson — the oldest of the Jackson brothers and a founding member of the Jackson 5. The relationship ended and did not lead to marriage. Jackie later married Enid Arden Span.

6. How much did Redd Foxx owe when he died?

Approximately $3.6 million to the IRS. He died without a will, making the estate legally and financially messy from day one.

7. Why was she removed as estate administrator?

A Nevada probate court found she had failed to comply with a court order requiring her to account for royalties, residuals, and licensing revenue collected during her administration. She was replaced by public administrator John J. Cahill in 2006.

8. Was she guilty of stealing Foxx’s money?

That was the accusation from Ka Ho Cho, Foxx’s fourth wife. The court removed Debraca as administrator, citing failure to account for funds. Whether the money was misappropriated or simply not properly documented was never publicly clarified.

9. Who was Ka Ho Cho?

She was Foxx’s fourth wife, whom he married on July 8, 1991. They were together for approximately three months before Foxx died. She fought Debraca for control of the estate and ultimately won — a court replaced Debraca with a neutral administrator.

10. Does Debraca have children?

Most sources say no confirmed children. One source states she and Ralph Russell have a son named Paul Hiles. This has not been verified or denied by any other source.

11. What happened to the IRS debt?

In 2010, public administrator John Cahill announced plans to sell the rights to Redd Foxx’s life story and likeness under Nevada law to pay the outstanding tax debt. Whether the debt was fully settled has never been clearly reported.

12. Where is she now?

She is believed to be alive in 2026 and living privately in the United States with no public or social media presence. Her last known public involvement was in Unsung Hollywood, either 2014 or 2015 depending on the source.Shar