A star is gone too soon. Actress, producer, and ex-wife of actor Forest Whitaker, Keisha Nash, passed away on December 7, 2023. She was just 51 years old. At this time, no details on Nash’s cause of death have been disclosed. Nash and Whitaker’s daughter, True Whitaker, 25, confirmed the unfortunate news via an Instagram story on Dec. 7.
“Goodbye, Mommy. I love you forever and beyond,” said Whitaker. “The most beautiful woman in the world… thank you for teaching me every single thing I know. I’ll see you in my dreams, and I’ll feel you in my heart.”
The next day, True followed up with another touching tribute to her mother on Instagram, calling Nash “the funniest, brightest, and most beautiful in the entire universe.”
“Thank you for being you. Thank you for everything. My butterfly, my ladybug, my mom. I love you,” True wrote.
Exploring Keisha Nash’s Early Life and Career
The late multi-hyphenate was born on March 8, 1972, in Boston, Mass., where she was raised by her brother, Jeffrey Nash. The talent graduated from Lynn Classical High School and later earned a degree from Endicott College. Nash got her start in acting in the early 90s. She went on to act and produce in films such as “Proud,” “Ben Harper: With My Own Two Hands,” and “Kassim the Dream.”
Per The Black Wall Street Times, Nash made history as the first Black model for Tommy Hilfiger. Nash made this move while signed to Elite Model Management and Ford Models. Her voyage into the fashion industry didn’t stop there. She attempted to start a children’s clothing line. However, other priorities got in the way.
“I’ve always been very ambitious,” Nash told O, The Oprah Magazine in 2008. “When my kids were younger, I tried to start a clothing line for children. But you have to be really committed to a new business, and at that time, I was more focused on being a mother.”
In 2007, Nash launched the luxury cosmetics line Kissable Couture with makeup artist A.J. Crimson. The line featured seven glosses, with three new additions launched on Valentine’s Day 2008. She later appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to promote her products.
Keisha And Forest Whitaker’s Love Story Began On Set
Nash met Whitaker on the set of the 1994 action-thriller “Blown Away,” where she portrayed Whitaker’s girlfriend in the film. Soon after, they began dating, and two years later, the couple tied the knot in Montego Bay, Jamaica, per People.
In addition to True, Nash and the “The Butler” actor also share another daughter, 27-year-old Sonnet Noel. Both actors have kids from previous relationships. Whitaker has an older son, 33-year-old Ocean, while Keisha has a 32-year-old daughter named Autumn.
In a 2009 interview with Parade, the “Black Panther” actor gushed about his then-wife and how strong she was with their kids.
“I’m not a tough love guy,” said Whitaker. “To be honest, my wife is much stronger with the kids than I am. They come to me when they’re trying to slip something by. I always take a pause when they come and say, ‘Hey, Dad, is it OK if we do this?’ So I just look at them like, ‘Have you talked to your mom about that?’ They know I’m the easy one.”
The couple were married for 22 years before Whitaker filed for divorce in 2018, citing irreconcilable differences as the cause. At this time, Whitaker has not commented on Nash’s passing.
We’d like to give our deepest condolences to Keisha Nash’s family and friends during this difficult time.
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