The Hilarious Reason Ice-T Sits Out This Holiday Tradition With Wife Coco Austin and Daughter Chanel

Coco Austin just revealed what your Instagram feed has been missing every holiday season, and you'll never be able to un-see it.

Or un-dream it, that is, because apparently none of us will ever get to actually see it.

Because while Coco and daughter Chanel, 8, don their matching sleep apparel to get into the Yuletide spirit, man of the house Ice-T has made a tradition of not joining in. And his reasoning is hilariously on brand.

"Every single year I've tried to get him into these stupid pajamas," Coco told E! News' Francesca Amiker in an exclusive interview. "Like, 'Can you just put 'em on for the picture?' And he's like, 'No, pimps don't get into that type of stuff.'"

And now we all have visions of Ice-T in candy-cane-striped long johns—or last year's navy PJs with a Christmas light pattern—dancing in our heads. But he's the one missing out, because pretty much every other member of the family takes part, including the rapper's grown kids, daughter LeTesha Marrow and son Tracy Marrow Jr.  

"I always try to get everybody in the mood," Coco continued, pausing for a hard eye roll at the thought of her "party pooper" husband of 22 years rejecting the PJs. "I want people to always be festive—not just for Christmas, but all the time. I'm a loud personality and it doesn't die off in different seasons."

She added with a laugh, "So it's Christmastime always for me."

That's especially true when it comes to matching outfits—Coco needs no reason other than being awake to twin with Chanel—and celebrations. Which, for the most part, Ice-T does not poop out on.

The Law & Order: SVU star was all smiles when, after a birthday trip to Disneyland, they further rang in Chanel's big 0-8 with a Hello Kitty-themed bash back in New York earlier this month (though he unsurprisingly passed on wearing pink). In a video Coco shared of Chanel taking it all in, from the massive balloon arrangements to the colorful multi-tiered cake, the sweetest part was the child heading over to her beaming dad for a hug. 

"It was still 100 people," Coco said of what was ostensibly a lower-key party than some of their daughter's previous birthday celebrations. "Even bringing it down a notch was still a lot, but it was amazing. It was off the chain."

But making each other feel special is pretty par for the course for this family—though Chanel admitted that being on the receiving end of a present makes her feel strange. 

"I love giving gifts," she said. "Receiving gifts, I feel weird. 'Oh, you really didn't have to do this—but here's my present!' I don't know what that is."

Needless to say, she puts a lot of thought into picking out gifts for others, including her hard-to-shop-for husband. Her secret, however, is keeping track of what Ice is into at any given time, "like a pair of tennis shoes he's looking for secretly," and making a note of it.

And since he won't go to the mall to buy those kicks, they make a perfect gift. But all year round it's important to stay in tune—especially when the going gets crazy.  

She and Ice are "constantly bickering about schedules," she noted. Even with Coco managing her husband's calendar, "there are not enough hours in the day."

With Chanel in school, "I can't be bouncing around like I used to do and it's hard keeping it together." In fact, she added, "The scheduling has been the hardest complaint out of our whole entire marriage. But we figure it out."

In addition to the date nights she dresses up for, because she knows he likes it when she does ("Night out flavor… ICE Style - COCO Style," he captioned a shot of his sneaker-clad foot next to Coco's red stiletto and pretty pink pedicure), they make a point of checking in with each other as much as possible.

"You must constantly involve each other in things," Coco explained. "When you're with each other for so long, you have your thing going on and he has his, and your lives start separating. And it just naturally happens, it's not like people fall out of love."

So in their case, to avoid an irreparable divergence, she and Ice remember what the other likes and apply it.

"We are regular human beings," Coco said, "we're working all the time, we have a daughter to raise. But we always have to take a moment to do us."  

Keep scrolling for more sweet scenes from Ice-T, Coco and Chanel's family world:

"Arrived," Coco wrote from The Guitar Hotel in Florida in June 2023 while giving Chanel a piggy-back ride in front of some rainbow angel wings.

"First day on vacation!" Coco wrote in June 2023. "Thank you @sugardollllz for always coming through, keeping Chanel and mines matching flow going!"

Chanel and Coco Austin supported Ice-T during his Walk of Fame ceremony in February 2023.

The family of three posed in front of his newly minted star in Los Angeles.

Baby Chanel enjoyed a shopping outing with her mom in Prague and showed that she's not too young to share in the fun.

"Every moment with daddy is super cool..Even Cheeto time!! Late night snack on bus," mom captioned this picture of quality father-daughter time while the rapper is on tour.

The model and her little one soaked up the sun at their house in Arizona.

"Someone caught me in mom's shoe closest again...So I guess I'll strike some of my poses," Coco captioned the shot of the cute tot showing off her modeling abilities.

The then 2-year-old child showed off her enviable collection of toys in this adorable post.

The famous family visited the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and sat upon a gold throne.

Starting young! Chanel threw money in this hilarious imagine which was captioned, "Baby Hustler."

While celebrating music's biggest weekend, the mother-daughter duo visits the WowWee table featuring crystal-studded Fingerlings at the GRAMMY Gift Lounge.

At 13 months, Chanel is growing up to be a big star!

It's family day at iPic Theaters as Ice-T and Coco bring Chanel to see The Girl on the Train. 

Little Chanel dresses up for New York Fashion Week with a pair of custom, crystal-embellished sneakers because she's just cool like that.

So adorable! Chanel is always ready for her close-up.

What's a baby girl to do with so many headbands and bows? Look cute, of course!

Coco better watch out because Chanel's got her eyes on mama's heels!

Aww! Chanel is having the time of her life playing peek-a-boo with dad.

"Don't hate on my pink flamingo outfit!" her mom wrote.

Baby Chanel is held by her mother in between her besties, Spartacus and Maximus.

Baby Chanel hitches a ride with Spartacus.

The mother-daughter duo are all smiles in their matching striped swimsuits.

Chanel looked quite happy to be spending the day with her mama on a photo shoot!

The baby watches her dad perform with the band Body Count in Arizona.

Chanel appears with her big brothers Spartacus and Maximus.

The baby appears with her father in a photo posted on her (yes her) Instagram page.

The baby tries solid food for the first time.

Well, obviously... She is a superstar.

Chanel's style is effortlessly cute--just look at those sunflowers!