Yaya DaCosta is a talented American actress renowned for her roles in All My Children, Ugly Betty, Chicago Med, The Kids Are All Right, Tron: Legacy, In Time, The Shanghai Hotel, The Butler, And So It Goes, and The Nice Guys. As a model, she was a runner-up at the 3rd edition of America’s Next Top Model in 2004. She has also obtained a degree in Africana Studies and International Relations from Brown University. Yaya has over 500k followers on Instagram and more than 90k followers on Twitter.
Sun Sign
Scorpio
Residence
She divides her time between New York City and Chicago.
Nationality
Education
Yaya DaCosta completed her high school education from the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Mount Hermon, Massachusetts. Later, she attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and graduated with a degree in Africana Studies and International Relations.
Manager
Yaya DaCosta is managed by –
- Ford Models, Modeling Agency Company, New York City, New York, United States
- The Gersh Agency, Inc., Talent Agency, Beverly Hills, California, United States
Boyfriend / Spouse
Yaya DaCosta has dated –
- Joshua Bee Alafia (2012-2015) – On June 26, 2012, Yaya tied the knot with the independent film producer and director, Joshua Bee Alafia, in Pennsylvania. They were blessed with a son named Sankara (born September 2013). However, after 2 years, their marriage started to fall apart and on November 12, 2015, Yaya filed for divorce from her husband. On October 6, 2018, in an Instagram post, Yaya revealed that her former husband, Joshua, had sexually assaulted her.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Curly hair
- High cheekbone
- Beautiful cat eyes
Shoe Size
8 (US) or 38.5 (EU) or 5.5 (UK)
Brand Endorsements
Yaya DaCosta has done endorsement work for brands like –
- Garnier Fructis
- Lincoln Townhouse
- Oil of Olay
- Radioshack
- Seda
- Sephora
- Scholl’s
Best Known For
- Appearing on the 3rd season of the reality TV show, America’s Next Top Model (2004), in which she finished as the 1st runner-up
- Her performances in numerous TV series including All My Children as Cassandra Foster, Ugly Betty as Nico Slater, and Chicago Med as April Sexton
- Portraying numerous roles in films like Honeydripper (2007), The Messenger (2009), The Kids Are All Right (2010), Tron: Legacy (2010), In Time (2011), The Shanghai Hotel (2011), The Butler (2013), Big Words (2013), And So It Goes (2014), and The Nice Guys (2016)
First Film
In 2006, she made her theatrical film debut as LaRhette in the dance drama film, Take the Lead.
First TV Show
In 2004, she made her first TV show appearance in the reality show, America’s Next Top Model.
In 2015, she made her TV show debut as a voice actress in the popular animated comedy series, The Simpsons, as Princess Kemi.
Personal Trainer
Yaya DaCosta tries to balance her workout routine with her busy schedule. She goes to workout at the gym in her building whenever she has the time or she indulges in some calisthenics workout at home. Earlier, she used to attend dance and classes regularly.
As for her diet, she praises her high metabolism for keeping her in shape. She has admitted that she loves to eat and can eat a lot. She has also revealed that she is happy when she is asked to put on weight for a role in any of the films rather than losing weight.
Yaya DaCosta Favorite Things
- Harlemite –
- Childhood Book – Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
Source –
Yaya DaCosta Facts
- At the age of 11, she gave her first performance in junior high school.
- She is well versed in Portuguese, French, Spanish, and conversational Japanese languages.
- She has also appeared in numerous music videos like “Gold Digger” (2005) for and , “Pullin’ Me Back” (2006) for Chingy, and “Beautiful Girls” (2007) for Sean Kingston.
- Her dream role is to play a Marvel character or a role in a film like Kill Bill.
- Her first Off-Broadway play was “The First Breeze of Summer” in 2008 at The Signature Theater.
- In 2008, she won the Vivian Robinson /AUDELCO Recognition Award for Excellence in Black Theater for her part in The First Breeze of Summer.
- In 2015, she played the role of singer in the Lifetime TV movie, Whitney, and received positive reviews for her performance.
- She has been featured in magazines like Vogue U.S. (January 2011), L’Officiel Paris (November 2010), Miss Ebene (November /December 2016), and W (September 2010).
- Visit her official website @ yayadacosta.com.
- Follow Yaya DaCosta on , , and .
Featured Image by Yaya DaCosta / Instagram
Facts of Camara DaCosta Johnson
- Gender Female
- full nameCamara DaCosta Johnson
- nicknamesYaya DaCosta, Yaya Alafia, Yaya Da Costa Johnson
- birthplaceHarlem, New York City, New York, United States
- Date of Birth November 15, 1982
- Age 41 years 11 months
- Horoscope Scorpio
- Lucky Number 10
- Lucky Stone Garnet
- Lucky Color Purple
- Best Match for Marriage Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundMultiracial
- nationalityAmerican
- net worth$1 million
- professionModel, Actress
- weight56 kg or 123.5 lbs
- height5 ft 7 in or 170 cm
- hair colorDark Brown
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildSlim
- collegeBrown University
- motherOrundun DaCosta
- fatherCarl Awolowo Johnson
- brothersMamadou Johnson, Djani Johnson
- sistersDjassi DaCosta Johnson