Skai Jackson’s Bold New Chapter: Motherhood, Maturity, and Moving Beyond Disney
Skai Jackson has grown up in front of millions. From her early days as a beloved Disney star to her breakout roles in adulthood, audiences have watched her transform on-screen. But off-camera, she’s been evolving even faster. Becoming a mother has added depth and maturity to her story, reshaping how fans and Hollywood see her. “My son is always my first priority,” Jackson says, a calm certainty in her voice. “He’s always in the back of my mind—and the front of my mind—with every decision I make.”.
Motherhood has grounded her, but it’s also fueled her ambition. Jackson has stepped into a bold new era, one where her personal and professional growth mirror each other. She’s embracing more complex, adult roles with the same confidence that’s defined her career since childhood. Her turn as Ashleigh in “Black Mafia Family (BMF)” is a prime example: a layered, sensual, and gritty performance that shatters any lingering notions of her as a child star.
“I was really excited,” she says of joining the cast. “Ashleigh has a really big role. Her character is the one who had Little Meech. It was something that was pretty different from what I’ve ever done.”
That leap into deeper territory didn’t come overnight. Jackson’s role in "Sheroes" offered a taste of adult themes and sparked her desire to stretch even further. “It kind of put my foot in the door when it came to adult stuff,” she explains. Playing Ashleigh was an opportunity to show that she could bring strength and vulnerability to a character’s arc: “She’s a strong woman, which I 100% align with, and she was a dope character. I was really happy I got to bring her to life.”
Jackson filmed “BMF” while pregnant, a decision that added authenticity and emotional weight to her performance. But behind the scenes, she was quietly enduring a harrowing pregnancy battle with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), a severe condition marked by extreme nausea and vomiting.
“I was vomiting about 40 times a day,” she recalls. “I couldn’t eat or even drink water. I went to the hospital probably three times a week for IVs. People can never imagine what it feels like unless they’re going through it. It takes a toll on you mentally and physically.”
Despite the grueling experience, she pressed forward. “The moment you wake up and open your eyes, you’re nauseous,” she says, reflecting on that period with quiet strength. “But I had my mom, my family, my best friend Sydney, and my uncle. I stayed focused and kept going to acting classes. I had to stay on my grind.”
That resilience is part of what makes this chapter of Jackson’s career so powerful. She’s not just reinventing herself professionally; she’s shaping a life for her son with intentionality and care. “Even though my son’s only seven months, he’s going to be able to see all this one day,” she says. “Every decision, from roles to brand deals, comes with him in mind. I don’t represent brands that don’t align with me. Everything is positive.”
Her son is already showing flashes of personality that remind her of herself. “He’s such a sweet baby,” she says with a smile. “When I was a baby, I was a people person. I was working on set at nine months old. My son is the same way. Another thing I notice is that he doesn’t have patience, just like me. If I’m feeding him too slowly, he’s getting mad like, ‘girl, hurry up.’ He’s developing his own personality every day.”
For fans who grew up watching her, Jackson’s journey feels personal. She knows how much it meant for young Black girls to see her on Disney Channel, especially when she chose to wear her natural hair at a time when straightened styles dominated. “I was kind of one of the first ones who had natural hairstyles—twist outs, box braids, things like that,” she says.
It wasn’t easy. “I probably went through 10 different hairstylists, and they were damaging my hair,” she remembers. “I got to a point where I said I need a Black woman here doing my hair that understands my hair. My mom was doing my twist outs at home. When you saw me on TV, they were just unraveling it and styling it. My mom was doing all the work behind the scenes.”
Eventually, her advocacy paid off. “They finally hired someone Black for me,” she says. “It was very important for me to represent that on TV because I wanted young girls to be like, ‘Oh my God, Skai has box braids.’”
Today, Jackson is a mother, a role model, and an actress stepping fully into her power. She’s redefining what it looks like to grow up in the spotlight and come out the other side stronger, more intentional, and deeply connected to her audience.
And with each choice—on set and off—she’s proving she’s here to stay.
