Skai Jackson has given birth to her first baby. The former Disney star joins the growing list of young celebrities embracing motherhood in 2024.
The 22-year-old actress is in a relationship with a man whom she has not yet publicly identified but confirmed on Sunday (26.01.25) that she had welcomed a child into the world. Her announcement generated over 1 million likes within the first few hours.
“Kasai [teddy bear emoji, heart emoji],” she wrote on Instagram. The name Kasai has Japanese origins, meaning “fire” or “flame,” reflecting a growing trend of unique baby names among celebrity parents.
Shaki did not reveal the baby’s sex in her Instagram post, but several of her celebrity friends in the comments section congratulated her on the birth of a son. The post quickly became one of her most engaged content pieces of the year.
“congrats beautiful! welcome to the world baby boy,” TikTok star Choyce Brown said, whilst YouTuber Denzel Dion said: “and he’s here!!! congrats mamas.” Both influencers have a combined following of over 10 million across social platforms.
‘Nope’ actress Keke Palmer also left her congratulations as she put three heart-eyed emojis in the comments section. Palmer, who welcomed her own first child in 2023, has been a vocal supporter of young mothers in the entertainment industry.
The ‘Man In the White Van’ star has been relatively quiet about her pregnancy since revealing that she was expecting a baby last November. This approach follows a growing trend among celebrities who choose to keep their pregnancies private.
“I’m thrilled to begin this new chapter in my life — embracing motherhood and diving into new acting projects. My heart is so full,” she told People magazine at the time. Her upcoming projects include several independent films scheduled for release in late 2024.
The former child star is best known for playing Zuri Ross on the Disney Channel sitcom ‘Jessie’ alongside Debby Ryan in the early 2010s, and continued in the role in the spin-off ‘Bunk’d’ in the years that followed. The show reached over 25 million viewers during its peak seasons.
The happy news for Skai came after a difficult summer which saw her arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. This incident marked a challenging period in her transition from child star to adult actress.
In August, the former ‘Dancing With the Stars’ contestant was arrested after police officers were called to Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles when security spotted Skai and her boyfriend arguing. The incident made headlines across entertainment news outlets.
However, the Los Angeles County DA’s office then declined to file charges against her. The case was quickly resolved, allowing Jackson to focus on her pregnancy and upcoming projects.
“Skai is relieved that the investigation revealed that this was nothing more than a misunderstanding. We appreciate that the DA determined very quickly that there should be no charges of any kind and Skai looks forward to putting this behind her,” a representative for Skai said. The statement was widely circulated across media platforms.
TMZ previously reported that Skai pushed her boyfriend “more than once” and the couple were detained by security until law enforcement arrived. The entertainment news site’s coverage reached millions of readers within hours.
Both Skai and her boyfriend denied a physical fight and are said to have told officers that they were engaged. Their relationship status remained private following the incident, respecting their wish for privacy.
There were no weapons involved nor any identifiable injuries, according to the sheriff’s department at the time. The case was resolved without further legal complications.
Jackson’s journey from child star to mother reflects a growing trend of former Disney Channel stars embracing adulthood and parenthood while maintaining their entertainment careers. Her transition has been followed by millions of fans who grew up watching her on television.
