NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on 'New York Undercover'

Malik Yoba | Biography

Three Consecutive 'NAACP Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series' For 'New York Undercover'

• By Yunil Tamrakar
• Update : January 26, 2022

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Malik Yoba is an actor well known for his roles as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on Fox's TV show New York Undercover.

Who is Malik Yoba?

Malik Yoba is an American actor born Abdul-Malik Yoba on 17 September 1967 in Bronx, New York, USA. His parents are Erutan Abdullah Yoba and Mahmoudah Young Lanier. HIs spans have speculated that he comes of Jamaican descent, he has not confirmed his ethnic status. However, he has played Jamaican and Nigerian roles in his acting career. 

Yoba first appeared in the movie Cool Runnings as Yul Brenner in 1993. However, he is broadly known for starring in the FOX police drama series New York Undercover in 1994. He won three 'NAACP Image Awards' for 'Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series' for New York Undercover in 1996, 1997, and 1998. In addition in 2000, he played the role of Stuart Banks in the drama video His Woman His Wife. 

Also Read - Michael DeLorenzo - New York Undercover & Age

Yoba has also starred in other films like Criminal (2004), and They're Just My Friends (2006). He played Ice on the FOX television series Arrested Development (2004) and had a recurring role on the UPN sitcom Girlfriends from 2003 to 2007 as Brock Harris. Yoba has also been featured in the crime drama Thief (2006) on FX Networks and Raines (2007) on NBC. In Tyler Perry's 2007 film Why Did I Get Married?, he played Gavin and continued the same role in the sequel titled Why Did I Get Married Too? in 2010.

Moreover, Yoba appeared as former FBI Special Agent Bill Harken on the science-fiction series Alphas from 2011 to 2012. In addition, Yoba was cast as Jim Hudson in the TV show Revolution in 2013 and joined the cast of Lee Daniels' Empire in 2015 as Vernon Turner and stayed with the show for the first season.

When his character was not reprised for the second season, a rumor started mentioning that he suffers from drug problems. After it went to headlines, he confronted the TMZ magazine that he was searching for the original blogger who made such claims about him and added that he was taking legal action for the damage to his reputation. 

In addition, as of 2022, he recently starred in the TV mini-series Terror Lake Drive in 2020 and TV show The Last OG from 2018 to 2021. 

Wife

Although the date of marriage and divorce has not been disclosed, Yoba was married to Trisha Mann. He has a daughter, Dena, and a son, Josiah, with Mann. While previous to Mann, he had one daughter named Pria with a former partner. 

Followed by that, on 21 December 2003, he got married to Cat Wilson. Wilson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on 25 April 1980. And she is well known for starring in the movie Oh Happy Day (2004) and R. Kelly's opera, Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1-12 (2005) and Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 13-22 (2007).

Yoba and Wilson got divorced after three years of marriage in 2006. He did not have any children with her. And as of January 2022, he is not married.

Gay and Transgender Women

There were multiple reported speculations as to if Yoba was gay. However, in 2019, he made a statement asserting that he was not gay and was attracted to women. 

Furthermore, in 2019 Yoba also disclosed that despite being a heterosexual man, he was attracted to transgender women. He also announced on social media that he would march in the National Trans Visibility March in Washington, DC.  

After that, trans activist Mariah Lopez Ebony alleged that Yoba engaged in inappropriate paid sexual activity with her when she was a minor. Yoba, on the other hand, refuted the allegations during an interview with The Root's studios in 2019 and denied Ebony's claims. He said, "I don't know the woman," and "I have no idea who she is."

Net Worth

According to celebritynetworth, Yoba holds an accumulated net worth of $3 million, acquired from his acting bio.