Keisha Whitaker, a former model, actress and red carpet mainstay, as well as a beloved mother, has passed away. She was 51 years old. The news was shared by her daughter True.
“Goodbye mommy. I love you 4ever and beyond,” she wrote in her Instagram Stories. “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.”
True went on to share throwback images of her mom, including as a child, with captions including “There’s no one more important to me.”
No cause of death has been made public.
Keisha Whitaker, born Keisha Nash, was previously married to Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker, with whom she shares adult daughters Sonnet and True. They meet on the set of the film Blown Away in 1993 and they were married in 1996. The divorce filing occurred in 2018 after 22 years of marriage, with Forest citing irreconcilable differences as the reason. It was finalized in 2021.
They also both came into their union with one child from a previous relationship, Keisha bringing daughter Autumn, while Forest had his son Ocean. While the two called it quits, she continued to be in support of her former longtime partner, including by sharing his work on the Epix hit Godfather of Harlem on her Twitter page and retweeting some of his postings during the pandemic.
Speaking of social media, she hadn’t posted on either Instagram or Twitter in some time, and the last public photos of her at an event date back to 2018. On both social pages though, Keisha had a lovely description of herself and her outlook on life.
“I am a Gal with lots of love and inspiration 2 spread and believe that life is EVERYDAY Glamour,” she wrote. “It’s whats u do in fun, friends, fashion and family.”
Our thoughts are with Keisha’s children and loved ones during this time.
